


A Fool's Justice

by WayfinderGal



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Cafe Leblanc (Persona 5), Canon-Typical Violence, Cliffhangers, Eventual Romance, Feels, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Mementos (Persona 5), Metaverse (Persona 5), Mild Language, Mild Sexual Content, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Persona 5: Mementos Mission References, Persona 5: The Royal, Persona 5: The Royal References, Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers, Post-Canon, Post-Persona 5: The Royal, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rivals to Lovers, Rivals to Rivals and Lovers, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:35:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 33
Words: 67,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24131431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WayfinderGal/pseuds/WayfinderGal
Summary: Akira Kurusu is back in Tokyo for his summer vacation, along with the ex-Phantom Thieves of Hearts. But what if the matter that Akira and Morgana wanted to discuss involved the Phantom Thieves’ comeback? And what if two wild cards were destined to cross paths again? Only time will tell whether there will be no more what ifs.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 46
Kudos: 251





	1. Am I imagining things?

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there! WayfinderGal here with my first Persona 5 fanfic! I wanted to make post-Royal scenario where the Protagonist and Akechi cross paths again, in addition to adding some more Metaverse stuff:)
> 
> After playing Royal and seeing the True Ending, I suddenly had the urge to write a fanfic about these two>.< Which lead to me creating a theory (which is also coming up in the next chapter).
> 
> Anyway... It's showtime! Hope you enjoy the story and may your heart be your guiding key<3
> 
> P.S. Given that this fanfic HAS NOT been in the back burner, I may add to the ship tags and additional tags at certain points (depending on where the story is heading).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**06/01/20XX - Afternoon**

“Well, look who’s back. How’ve you been?” Sojiro asked as he cleaned the countertop.

Akira had just walked into Leblanc like any other day. Only this time, he was visiting for summer vacation.

“Pretty well,” Akira answered. “How are things with the café?”

“Business is the same as usual,” Sojiro said, a calm smile on his face. “Futaba sometimes comes to help out once in a while, when she has some free time on her hands. That being said: let me know whenever you want to help out. I don’t mind the help.”

“Will do.”

“Good. Now, I don’t mind you staying up in the attic again, but shouldn’t you be staying with any of your other friends instead?”

“Nah, it feels more nostalgic,” Akira responded, before Morgana popped out of the bag that he was carrying.

“Ah, it’s good to be back,” Morgana said with glee.

“I see you brought that cat with you. Looks like you’ll be staying with a friend regardless,” Sojiro commented, causing Akira to nod with a smile.

“Alright then, do make yourselves at home, but don’t get too comfortable. I have a café to run, after all.”

“Thank you, and sorry for the intrusion,” Akira said, before he began walking towards the attic stairs.

But then Sojiro stopped him once again. “Oh and before I forget: take this.”

Just as Akira was turning around, Sojiro had thrown something small towards him. After Akira caught it, he looked at the object and then at Sojiro. “The key to Leblanc?”

“Like before, I’m not going to wait for you to get back. I’ll be counting on you to close up shop at night.”

“Got it.”

“Perfect, thanks in advance,” Sojiro said, before he walked over to the kitchen to organize some supplies.

Heading up the stairs and reaching the attic, Akira looked around his past room. It’s been a year since his probation has ended. Who knew he’d plan a summer vacation with the rest of the ex-Phantom Thieves? Well… maybe the term “ex-Phantom Thieves” was to change soon. After all, after Akira saw himself in his metaverse outfit right before leaving Tokyo, he’s been meaning to formally discuss this with everyone else.

“Seems like the chief kept it tidy up here,” Morgana observed. “You should properly thank him later.”

Akira nodded, before he proceeded to put his bag down on the desk near the stairs.

Morgana then climbed out of the bag and sat on the desk leisurely. “Well then, we should get ourselves settled before meeting the others. We planned on meeting at the Darts and Billiards place, right?”

“Yeah.”

With that said, Akira began to organize his things. It wasn’t until a few minutes later that he heard Sojiro call him from the café. “Hey Akira, some of your friends are here.”

“Yo, dude! Come down here!” Akira heard a recognizable voice from downstairs.

“Don’t keep us waiting!” Another voice said.

“They must’ve been eager to see you again,“ Morgana commented, climbing onto Akria’s bag again. “You should probably finish organizing later.”

“Agreed,” Akira said, grabbing his bag. “Let’s go.”

With that said, Akira headed downstairs to meet with his first two friends from Shujin Academy.

* * *

**06/01/20XX - Evening**

“Wait, so you guys want to meet at Leblanc tomorrow evening?” Ann asked, a confused expression on her face.

The gang had been playing billiards while catching up on what they’ve been doing for the past year. Ryuji’s knee has been improving ever since he started rehab after his move, Ann had recently returned from her second short study abroad program, Haru and Makoto just finished their first year at college, Yusuke has been looking into colleges specialized in the arts, Futaba has gotten used to Shujin Academy and is starting her second year, and Sumire has been training to excel in her gymnastics routines while prepping for her college entrance exams… The sudden request to meet at Leblanc piqued everyone’s curiosity.

“It’s something that we needed to discuss with everyone formally,” Morgana said, seriousness in his tone. “It’s about the Metaverse.”

“But didn’t it dissapear after…” Yusuke started to say, suggesting a past event that everyone knew far too well: the moment they changed the public’s heart and stopped Dr. Maruki’s fake reality.

“Yes, but it looks like that may not be the case. Let’s discuss this in further detail tomorrow.”

“Understood,” Makoto said.

“I have practice tomorrow, so I may be there a bit late,” Sumire confessed.

“I have a study session so I’ll be a bit late as well,” Haru added.

“It’s fine, we can just wait for everyone to get there,” Futaba reassured.

Ryuji then grinned widely. “But man, it’s been ages since we’ve met up like that.”

“It has been a while…” Ann agreed.

“Then it's decided,” Morgana nodded.

After playing a few more rounds of billiards and playing some darts, they all decided to head back for the day. As they reached the boarding area for Kichijoji’s Subway Station, Sumire approached Akira. “It was so nice to see you again, Akira-senpai!”

“I’m glad you’re doing well yourself,” Akira replied.

Sumire nodded. “I may be busy with gymnastics and prepping for the college entrance exams, but do let me know whenever you want to hang out.”

“Of course.”

“Great!” Sumire said, a smile evident on her face.

“Sumire, we need to go study!” Futaba urged. “Those entrance exams aren’t going to ace themselves.”

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Sumire laughed a bit.

Apparently Futaba decided to start studying for her college entrance exam early, so she and Sumire thought it was a good idea to be study partners for the rest of the school year.

When the subway arrived, the gang started to go inside. But before Akira could take a step onto the subway, something caught his eye among the crowd of civilians. More specifically: someone.

“Hey, the train is about to leave,” Morgana said in alarm.

But Akira was too focused on the figure that was heading towards the station’s exit.

‘Am I imagining things?’ Akira thought, before quickly following the mysterious figure. ‘I need to make sure.’

“Akira? Where are you going?” Ryuji started to ask in confusion, making the others look confused as well. But the subway’s doors closed before he could approach him.

“Hey! What’s gotten into you?!” Morgana said in concern.

Akira moved past every person in his way, trying to reach the exit as fast as he could. He didn’t want to lose the chance of confirming his doubts. After everything that’s happened… He knew that there was this bit of hope that kept him from forgetting his promise.

Finally making it to the station’s exit, he continued to follow the figure, knowing very well that, if his suspicions were correct, he would be heading to one specific location at this time of day. After all, the sun has almost set.

“You’re starting to worry me…” Morgana said, trying to get a reaction from Akira. But he had filtered his voice out for the time being.

Making a turn and passing the temple, he realized that his fast pace was enough to catch up with the figure. And after several more steps, he was able to grab the person’s wrist.

“No way…” Morgana could only mutter, seeing who Akira had just stopped.

They just heard the other person smirk. “Long time no see.”

  
  



	2. I'm glad you're okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**06/01/20XX - Night**

“And to think that changing our cognition to believe I was truly dead was part of his plan all along… I’m a bit ashamed that I found out about this the moment our true reality returned,” Akechi said, putting down his drink for a moment.

Akira didn’t think of coming back to the jazz club for anything, especially during his summer break. But given Akechi’s sudden appearance and invitation, he couldn’t say no.

“How could you tell?” Akira asked, putting down his drink as well.

“Didn’t you feel something come back to you as well when we came back to this reality?”

His voice was a bit more serious, like when they were in Dr. Maruki’s reality. Akira saw this true self of his to be rather different from his fake self, considering he didn’t have to hide who he was anymore. He sometimes considered how this added to the unmasked prince’s charm.

“Something wasn’t right when confronting Dr. Maruki the day before we stole his treasure," Akechi continued. "Do you recall what happened in Shido’s Palace before we parted ways?”

“How could I forget?”

Akira could recall the battle in Shido’s Palace, the cognitive version of Akechi, the wall, the promise he wanted to keep with Akechi… and the gunshots. How could he forget? He couldn’t.

Akechi continued. “When he mentioned my death, I could only recall a gap in my memory that led to meeting you afterwards before turning myself in. That gap in my memory led me to conclude that, like Wakaba Isshiki and President Okumura, I was the same. However, that deduction had its plot holes.”

“You should be very much aware of my hatred towards losing. As if I’d let such a shitty puppet like that end my life…” Akechi scowled. His expression then became serious again. “Being together right now should be enough evidence to show you what really transpired, so I won’t go into further details.” He placed a hand to his chin. “After returning to this reality, I was able to connect some things together. If I had such a gap in my memory, then that surely means that Dr. Maruki used this same tactic on everyone else to create that fake reality. As a matter of fact, there is one point that I find interesting: Dr. Maruki tried to make a reality where everyone’s happy. But there was a problem that couldn’t be avoided.”

“You can’t please everyone.”

“Exactly. If Dr. Maruki had the ability to change the public’s cognition, then wouldn’t he have the power to change people’s realities as he saw fit? Perfect evidence of this were the Mementos targets from back then. And given what happened between Dr. Maruki and his ex-girlfriend, there’s a connection that can’t be overlooked. Do you see where I’m going with this?”

After Akechi mentioned this point, Akira realized that the Mementos targets made more sense. If Dr. Maruki truly wanted everyone to be happy, then there wouldn’t be any targets in Mementos. There wouldn’t be any suffering victims. And if Rumi’s situation is considered… Isn’t it the same situation? “He wanted to sacrifice someone else’s happiness for the sake of another’s.”

Akechi nodded. “Precisely. The Phantom Thieves were able to continue on changing people’s hearts, the target lived what seemed to be a “happy” life, and the target’s victim paid the price. Just like Dr. Maruki paid the price when he lost his lover, which was quite a personal matter. This brings us to the point of him mentioning my death to you.” He crossed his legs. “When he intervened on that day, he wanted you to acknowledge my tragic end so that you would accept his mediocre reality. He was fully aware of our special bond and how it was different from the bonds that you shared with the other Phantom Thieves... so he wanted to take advantage of that by giving you a more personal motive. The resulting scenario was quite credible, no?”

“Yeah…” Akira said, fixating his gaze at his drink. “But we decided to deny that reality, regardless of the cost.”

“And I’m grateful for that,” Akechi said, making Akira lock eyes with him again. “Had you chosen otherwise, I would have never forgiven such foolishness.” He then sighed slightly. “But to think he’d actually use such a dirty tactic against us... And all because of his false reality bullshit. No matter, what’s done is done. Our lives are better off this way.”

“You managed to carve a path for yourself?” Akira couldn’t help but ask. He wouldn’t expect an actual answer from him though.

A cocky smirk formed on Akechi’s face. “You could say I did. But encountering you after all this time… that was not part of my path.”

“What if we were meant to cross paths again?”

“I assume it’s because of our promise?”

“That… and because I’ve been meaning to address something.”

Akechi’s face became serious, as if he knew that he wouldn’t like what Akira was going to say. “And what’s that?”

“... I meant what I said back then. That wasn’t trivial.”

“This again? It’s been over a year since that happened and it was all fake. Drop it,” Akechi said, his tone dead serious.

“I didn’t say that out of pity.”

“And you think it’s okay to say this to me now? What’s the point?”

“Can’t I care about my rival?”

“Are you serious—?” Akechi said, a hint of frustration in his voice. “In case you’ve forgotten, I deceived all of you and showed you no mercy in that interrogation room.”

“But what about Shido’s Palace? And even after that?” Akira asked, crossing his arms and cocking his head slightly to the side.

“That’s… “ Akechi’s face dropped. He then shook his head. “Stop wasting your time.”

“I’m not. Your life matters, you matter.”

Akechi remained silent, not knowing what to say after his response.

Gathering up his thoughts, he sighed. “…Are you even aware of the weight of your words right now?” He then stood up with the bit of composure that he had left. “I’ve had enough of this. I believe we should get going.”

“... Alright,” was the only thing that Akira could say before leaving the jazz club with Akechi.

Exiting the club, they noticed that it was already night out, and several people were walking around the dimly lit area.

“Seems like we took our time,” Akechi commented, before a cocky smirk formed on his face as he turned towards Akira. “At least the majority of our conversation was beneficial.” Turning to the road in front of him, Akechi started to walk away. “Well, see ya around.”

“Wait,” Akira interrupted him for a moment.

“What?” Akechi asked in annoyance, turning around abruptly, only to feel someone’s arms around him.

Akira had pulled Akechi into a tight embrace, his head on his shoulder. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Akechi, slightly flustered, didn’t know where to put his hands for a moment, before he decided to grip at the back of his shoulders.

“Seriously…” Akechi said in frustration, before his grip became even tighter. “You really are…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **EDIT (05/20/2020):** It has come to my attention that a recent P5R update changed a certain option that is given during the conversation with Akechi on 2/2. So in order to keep consistency (and to give the protagonist more emotion on this matter), the line in the fanfic was changed as well. R.I.P. "small potatoes" you'll be dearly missed:(


	3. Let's make a deal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**06/02/20XX - Evening**

“Sorry I’m late!” Sumire said as she walked into Leblanc.

“Looks like everyone’s here,” Makoto said.

“Not everyone,” Akira commented as he started getting some coffee beans from the pantry. He then walked over and placed them next to the coffee machine.

Everyone looked at him, confusion on their faces. 

“Whaddya mean?” Ryuji asked.

Morgana, with a concerned expression, knew what he meant. “Akira messaged someone last minute about this meeting. He should be here any minute now.”

“”He”?” Ann asked.

Just then, the main entrance’s bell chimed, drawing everyone’s attention to the person who entered the room. With an exception to Akira and Morgana, everyone was in shock.

“Akechi-san?” Sumire said in surprise.

“We thought you were—?” Yusuke continued, but Akechi cut him short.

“Dead? Clearly I’m not, so could you all please stop with these pointless assumptions,” Akechi addressed with a serious tone, before walking over to one of the coffee bar stools and sitting down. “The only reason I’m here is because Akira messaged me right after we met by chance yesterday. And from the looks of things, this matter involves me as well.”

“So that’s why you ran off so suddenly…” Haru contemplated.

“But wait, why is Akechi involved in all of this?” Futaba asked.

“Because he’s a Persona-user, just like the rest of us,” Morgana explained. “And since Akira just so happened to find Akechi right before we left Kichijoji, he thought he also had the right to know about the current situation with the Metaverse.”

“So the Metaverse is back...” Makoto contemplated. “How did you guys find out?”

“It was before I left last year,” Akria answered as he began to brew some coffee. “My reflection had me wearing my Metaverse outfit.”

“Whoa, for real?!” Ryuji exclaimed. “How is that even possible?”

“We don’t know,” Morgana confessed. “But we do know one thing.”

Akira nodded. “Our job is not over yet.”

“We’ve also checked the Phantom Aficionado Website,” Morgana continued. “And there seems to be people who need the Phantom Thieves’ help. So… What are everyone’s thoughts on making a comeback?”

“I’m in!” Ryuji grinned. “People need us, so why wouldn’t we help?”

“No hesitation… I’d be happy to assist,” Yusuke said.

“Count me in!” Ann agreed.

“Same here,” Haru added.

“Seems like it’s inevitable,” Makoto said.

Futaba laughed a bit. “Looks like it’s navigator time again.”

Sumire nodded. “I’d be thrilled to help everyone out again, so count me in as well.”

Akechi looked over at Akira and Morgana. “I’m only listening in on the situation, so don’t expect an opinion from me. I no longer have anything to do with the Phantom Thieves… and I plan to keep it that way.”

“Then it’s unanimous,” Morgana concluded. “The Phantom Thieves are back in business. Now… let’s talk about tomorrow’s target.”

And thus, the Phantom Thieves of Heart began talking about tomorrow’s logistics. It was only after they coordinated their meeting time that they decided to call it a day.

Just as everyone left, Akira placed a freshly brewed cup of coffee in front of his rival. “On the house.”

Akechi just smirked. “Thanks. It’s been ages since I’ve grabbed some coffee here.”

Taking a sip of coffee before he continued. “Now… You called me out to listen to this meeting of yours for a reason. Out with it.”

“Let’s make a deal.”

Akechi scoffed a laugh as he smirked. “You offering to make a deal while it’s usually the other way around? How very bold of you. I’m assuming this involves the Metaverse, correct?”

Akira nodded. “I want you to join us in our missions again.”

“And why should I do that? Like I said before: I’m done with the Phantom Thieves.”

“Don’t we share the same goal right now?” Akira pointed out.

Akechi understood what he meant right away. He took a sip from his coffee before he continued. “I see… so it’s about that. What are you suggesting?”

“We promised each other a rematch, so why not prepare for it? We’d be improving our skills at the same time if we go on missions together.”

“So you want a fight where our odds are evenly matched? I suppose that’s something I can agree on… if you allow me to decide the date and place for this match,” Akechi said, a sly smile on his face.

“By all means,” Akira agreed.

Akechi then crossed his arms. “July 3rd. I believe one month starting from today should be enough time to prepare. As for the location, let’s choose Mementos, just like last time.”

“Alright, may the best man win.”

Akechi nodded. “Likewise. You better not disappoint me.” He then took the cup in his hand once again. “Well, if there isn’t anything else, I’ll finish my coffee and be on my way. I have no intention of staying for longer.”

“Not even for a game of chess?” Akira asked, arching one of his brows slightly.

Akechi chuckled under his breath. “You seem to be full of surprises today. Are you that needy for my attention?”

“You did say we’d start today,” Akira pointed out.

“Using my own words against me? Can’t say I’m surprised,” Akechi commented, placing the cup back down. “Fine, I’ll humor you for a bit. Only because this is one of the many ways I can strategically formulate your defeat.”

“As will I,” Akira said, taking out the chess set from a drawer.

Once Akira placed the chess set on one of the free booths and sat down, Akechi moved his coffee to that booth and sat across from him.

After taking one more sip of coffee, Akechi fixated his gaze on Akira. “Now then... Let us start the game.”


	4. Is that really what you want?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**06/09/20XX - Afternoon**

“Let’s take five, everyone,” Joker said to the team as they reached a resting area in the Path of Sheriruth.

Crow then approached him. “Joker, a word.”

“What’s up?”

Crow crossed his arms as he glared at Joker. “Could you stop getting enraged so casually? I believe it would benefit the both of us greatly if you could prevent it.”

It’s been a week since Crow accepted Joker’s deal to train alongside him. And Crow has grown more and more upset over the repeated occurrence of Joker getting enraged during battle. He always enjoys watching his rival in this state, but when all enemies are taken down in one go by him while being this angry, he can’t help but feel unfocused. And given their future rematch, Crow refused to have any more distractions like this.

“I’ll see what I can do,” Joker assured.

“I’m being serious. Nullify it, minimize the chances, do something. But damn it, just work it out,” Crow said in a serious tone before walking off.

Joker watched as he walked away, confusion evident on his face. He then checked his Personas and noticed that he only had one Persona with Resist Rage… which could only minimize the chances of rage by a bit. He sighed. ‘He’s not going to be happy about this... I better find a nullifier soon once we get back.’

Once everyone descended from the current resting area, they got on Mona and continued on their way. The team decided to take down a tough shadow that was close to the entrance. The target was on this same floor, so taking care of this shadow right away would make their return a lot easier.

Ambushing the shadow, they noticed that their opponents were three Kumbhandas. Joker found this even more problematic: their enemies could inflict Rage onto anyone on their team by using either the Wage War skill or Hysterical Slap skill. He heaved a sigh. “Let’s get this over with quickly.”

“Gladly,” Crow said, his gaze never leaving the shadows in front of them.

And thus the battle began. Joker, Akechi, Violet, and Skull performed their first set of attacks at the enemies, trying to knock them down, but to no avail. One of the enemies then targeted the whole team and used Wage Warl, but everyone dodged just in time. The second enemy decided to use Hysterical Slap on Joker. And given Joker’s back luck, he was inflicted with rage once again, making Crow grit his teeth. But seeing that the third enemy was about to Hysterical Slap on Joker for the second time in a row, he just tsked before rushing over to him.

“... Idiot!” Crow shouted and, in the blink of an eye, roundhouse-kicking Joker out of the way. As a result, Crow got his by the attack instead. And the side effect of that attack was not in his favor.

“YOU WANNA DIE YOU PIECE OF SHIT?!” Crow raged as he struck down one of the enemy shadows with his sword.

“Yikes, Crow’s also enraged,” Futaba commented in a panic. “This might not end well if we don’t bring one of them back.”

“I got ya!” Ryuji shouted, before he ran over and slapped Joker with a paper fan.

“Thanks,” Joker said to him, before rushing over to the shadow and slashing it with his dagger and finishing it off.

Violet and Ryuji then finished off the last shadow without any problems.

“Nice work, team!” Futaba beamed.

“Let’s keep going,” Joker said, before turning around to head back to the rest of the team. But Crow decided to pull at his arm rashly, dragging him away from everyone else.

“Crow, what are you doing?! Get back here!” Futaba exclaimed.

“I think senpai has this covered,” Violet commented.

“I’m more worried about Crow still having that status ailment. Who knows what he could do to him?” Mona said in a concerned tone.

“He’ll be okay,” Violet reassured. “They came to my rescue when Dr. Maruki had me captive, so I wouldn’t worry too much.”

The team was not that far away from the ascending escalators of that floor, so Crow managed to pull Joker away until they reached the preceding resting area. Just when the two reached the upper floor, Crow forcefully pushed Joker against the wall. “WHAT DID I TELL YOU, DAMN IT?!”

“Crow, calm down.”

“Not until you stop building up unnecessary tension between us… IT’S PISSING ME OFF!”

Joker then exerted just enough force to change positions with Crow. “Crow, get a hold of yourself!”

Just then, Crow’s eyes widened and pushed Joker away. He then proceeded to punch the wall that was beside him. “Damn it... Why did I…?” 

“Welcome back,” Joker casually said.

Crow then angrily looked at him dead in the eyes, and it wasn’t because of the ailment anymore. And from what he could see, Joker couldn’t tell whether the redness of Crow’s cheeks was from anger or embarrassment. “I told you to work it out.”

“I switched to a Persona that could withstand rage to a certain degree and that was the best I could do at the moment,” Joker explained. “I’m planning to get better equipment to nullify the effect once we call it a day.”

“Fine, as long as it doesn’t happen again the next time we visit,” Crow fumed. “I don’t want a repeat of what happened just now.”

Crow then began to walk towards the stairs that lead to the lower floor, but he stopped just as he was about to descend. “And if anyone asks, do keep your mouth shut about this matter. Unless you have a death wish.”

“My lips are sealed.”

“Good,” Crow said, before heading back down with Joker.

* * *

**06/09/20XX - Evening**

Returning to the real world, the Phantom Thieves appeared at Shibuya’s Subway Station once again. After biding their farewells, Akira leaned against one of the subway station’s walls as he addressed Akechi. “So what’s this about unnecessary tension?”

Akechi just glared at him. “Do you honestly want to bring that up now?”

“I’m just curious.”

“... You know exactly what I mean when I say “unnecessary tension”. And I don’t plan on delving into this matter with you any time soon.”

“Is it because of our deal?” Akira asked.

“It is precisely because of our deal,” Akechi answered. “Or would you rather put your brainless sentimentality above our current agreement?”

“But what about after our rematch?”

Akechi sighed in frustration. “We’d be going on our separate paths by then, so there’s no need to bring it up again.”

“So you want to ignore it entirely,” Akira said, knowing very well that he didn’t have to confirm this fact. He knew that Akechi wanted to avoid the subject all together from the start.

“Am I not making it obvious enough for you? I’d rather not indulge in it,” Akechi said, the seriousness in his voice never wavering.

“Is that really what you want?”

Akechi looked down in silence as a conflicted expression formed on his face. It was moments later that he managed to gather his thoughts. “Talking about this any further will only hinder the performance of our rematch… You should be aware of that.”

Akira could only remain silent after noticing Akechi’s uneasy tone. He could only sigh before responding. “Okay, let’s stop here.”

“Thank you,” Akechi said in an honest tone, but then his tone turned serious again. “We should probably call it a day ourselves, it’s obviously been an eventful day.”

“Agreed.”

But then Akechi smirked at him. “Although I am in the mood for some billiards… So how about a game or two? I believe it’s an offer that you wouldn’t turn down, right?”


	5. Everyone deserves a second chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**06/16/20XX - Evening**

“You really helped out today, Akechi,” Akira said to Akechi as he walked with him from Shibuya’s Subway Station to Shibuya’s Central Street.

“Would you presume anything less of me?” Akechi said, smirking.

“Of course not,” Akira said as he shook his head.

Just as they approached the busy Shibuya street, a cab drove up to them from the side and lowered it’s passenger window. “Good evening, gentlemen.”

“Dr. Maruki?” Akira asked confusedly.

“What the hell do you want?” Akechi asked with annoyance in his voice.

“I just happened to be in the neighborhood and saw you two walking by, so I thought I’d pass by to say hello,” Maruki said with a smile.

“And you expect us to believe that?” Akechi glared.

Maruki left out a nervous laugh. “You’re perceptive as always, Akechi-kun. I actually came over to ask for a favor. Won’t you hear me out?”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Akira said.

Maruki’s face then dropped, before his face was filled with panic. “Please, I beg of you! You’re my last resort!”

Akira was surprised at the sudden plea for help, but Akechi wasn’t buying it.

“I would have to agree with Akira,” Akechi said, crossing his arms. “After the stunt you pulled over a year ago, I’d rather leave you drowning in your own miseries.”

“I’ll drop you off anywhere you want, free of charge!”

“He’s sounding rather desperate… To the point of being obnoxiously annoying,” Akechi sighed, placing a hand to his chin. He then looked over to Akira. “What’s your call?”

“We should probably hear him out.”

“Fine, then,” Akechi said with a sigh, accepting his decision.

“Thank you, thank you! So, shall we get going then?” Maruki said while Akira and Akechi got in the cab. “Where do you want to go?”

“We were heading to a café close by… but given the “generous” offer, I believe Kichijoji should be a good place to stop, wouldn’t you agree?” Akechi asked Akira.

They had made plans to visit different cafés around Tokyo during their free time, since prepping for their rematch didn’t really allow them to indulge in their usual heated conversations. And Kichijoji just so happens to have a café that was high on their list.

His rival nodded. “That’s fine.”

“Got it,” Maruki nodded, looking towards the road once again. “We’re off then.”

And so Maruki started driving to their destination at an unhurried pace. “By the way, do any of you want any snacks?”

“I thought this wasn’t counseling,” Akira said.

“I know it’s not,” Maruki laughed a bit. “ I just like bringing snacks for my passengers in case they’re hungry. So...”

Maruki looked at Akechi and Akira through the driver’s mirror for a moment. “How’ve you two been? Catching up, I suppose?”

“Can you stop with the idle chatter? What is it that you want?” Akechi glared at Maruki through the mirror, making the driver avert his gaze.

“I suppose I’ll stop and get right down to business…” Maruki said in a defeated tone. “First off, I owe you both an apology. I shouldn’t have tried to trick you with such manipulative tactics. I was way out of line.”

“You hung my “life” right in front of Akira’s face like it was the simplest thing in the world,” Akechi stated resentfully. “And tricking me into believing such utter bullshit? The whole situation was awfully selfish.”

“I know, and I’m truly sorry about all of that. I’ll do whatever I can to make up for it and atone for my actions.” Maruki then let out a sigh. “As for the real reason I called you out for this drive: I need the Phantom Thieves help… It’s Rumi.”

“Rumi-san?” Akira asked in confusion.

“Didn’t you cut ties with her years ago?” Akechi questioned him. 

“After my reality disappeared, everyone’s cognitions returned to their original states… And that included her cognition as well.” Maruki explained, before he felt his expression drop. "Apparently she got admitted to the same hospital as before… I got a call from that same hospital and they told me that I was still her first emergency contact.” He then sighed. “I went to visit her and she’s... not doing so well. The doctor says that she has at least one more month before she enters a critical condition. And I wouldn’t want her to go through that.”

“So you want the Phantom Thieves to change her heart and prevent that?” Akira concluded.

“That’s the gist of it, though I don’t know if it’s entirely possible…”

“We’ll see what we can do,” Akira agreed.

Akechi looked at him. “Are you absolutely sure about this?”

Akira nodded. “This isn’t entirely new to us.”

Maruki showed a face of relief. “I really appreciate the Phantom Thieves doing this, really! If you need anything from me, don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll be happy to help in any way I can.” Just then Maruki stopped the car. “And it looks like we’re here.”

Akira and Akechi got out of the cab and turned to Maruki once again. He just tipped his driver’s cap at them. “Do let me know when you plan to stop by the hospital. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

And with that said, Maruki drove off, leaving Akira and Akechi behind in Kichijoji’s bustling area.

“You were referring to Futaba’s case, correct?” Akechi asked Akira, trying to confirm his conclusion.

“That’s right,” Akira answered.

“I was suspecting as much,” Akechi confessed. “But how can you be certain that she will be able to recover from her catatonic depression permanently?”

“We can only try.”

“I suppose that’s most likely the course of action for the time being,” Akechi pondered. “But still, why did you decide to help him? After everything he’s done, does he really deserve your cooperation?”

“Everyone deserves a second chance,” Akira said, fixating his gaze on Akechi.

“That seems to be your motto nowadays,” Akechi said in a sarcastic tone, but he understood right away that those words were meant for him as well. He dropped his sarcasm with his next sentence. “Very well, I won’t stop you.” Akechi then crossed his arms. “Given that this situation will take about a month, let us postpone our rematch till August 3rd. I wouldn’t want us to be distracted while making preparations for our match.”

“You want to help too?”

Akechi smirked. “I just think it’s rather unfair for me to wait on the sidelines while you work on this request. It’s as if you’re gaining the upper hand, and that is something that I cannot allow. And if we were to join forces in this task, we’re more likely to finish the job within a month, while having half a month to fully focus on our rematch preparations. That sound good to you?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Akira agreed.

“Now then,” Akechi said, turning towards Kichijoji’s main street. “Shall we go?”

Akira nodded. “Let’s check out that café.”


	6. All's in the past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**06/18/20XX - Afternoon**

“I’m surprised that you were all actually free today,” Maruki said to Akira, Akechi, and Sumire as they walked down the hospital hall.

“Well we are on summer vacation,” Akira commented.

“Though I must say, I wouldn’t have expected Akechi-kun and Yoshizawa-san to accompany you as well,” Maruki continued.

“I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my unfinished business with Akira. Besides, we’ll be done a lot faster if I’m around,” Akechi explained in his serious tone.

“And I just so happened to run into them during my break time,” Sumire confessed. “They told me about the situation, so I thought they would need a hand.”

“I see…” Maruki said, before stopping in front of one of the patient’s rooms. “Then I appreciate the extra help from the both of you. Shall we go in?”

With that said, they entered the room and saw a woman sleeping in the room’s hospital bed.

Maruki’s expression saddened the moment he saw her sleeping face. “I really hope this works...”

Akira took out his phone and opened the MetaNav app.

“Alright, so first things first: what results do we get if we search for Rumi-san’s name?” Akechi asked, peering over to see Akira’s phone.

_Result found._

“It’s a hit?” Sumire asked, peering over as well. “Then if that’s the name part… what happens if we say hospital as the location?”

_Result found._

“At least this confirms that she has a palace,” Akechi said, looking over to Akira. He then moved his gaze to Maruki. “Has Rumi-san said anything about this hospital? What she feels when she’s here?”

“Not much…” Maruki said. “Apart from her episodes, she’s usually really quiet.”

“In that case, we should wake her up and ask,” Akechi proposed. “Otherwise, we won’t be able to get much done here.”

“I think there’s no need to wake her up,” Maruki said, looking over at Rumi and giving her a soft smile, as if to assure that everything’s okay.

The other three looked towards the bed and saw that Rumi was awake. It seemed as if the chatting had woken her up.

“Rumi,” Maruki said, “I brought some friends that wanted to see you. They wanted to ask you something.”

Rumi remained silent, quietly observing her guests, before she made a light affirming noise.

“Go ahead,” Maruki nodded at the others.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Rumi-san,” Akechi’s pleasant tone kicked in. “I hope you won’t mind us asking you a question or two.”

Rumi did the same as before and affirmed lightly.

“Lovely,” Akechi smiled, before softening his expression into his princely facade. “Out of curiosity: what do you think of this hospital? Does it make you feel anything in particular?”

She remained quiet.

“Please, Rumi-san,” Sumire pleaded. “Anything would be helpful.”

Rumi didn't budge, making Maruki sigh. “It’d be best if we stop for now… I don't want to risk her having another episode.”

With that said, the four exited her room.

“That didn’t go so well…” Sumire said in a saddened tone.

“Seems like we need to take another route,” Akechi pondered, his princely attitude gone. “Dr. Maruki, do share what you know about her condition.”

“Well—” Maruki was going to start to explain, but Rumi began to scream.

“Stop! Bring them back!” Rumi shouted as she held her head. “I don’t want to drown in this nightmare! This isn’t real… This isn’t real!”

“Not again,” Maruki panicked. “I’ll go get help, be right back!”

Maruki then ran off in a sprint.

Akechi then placed a hand to his chin. “”Drown”, “nightmare”, and “this isn’t real”... Seems like we have a lead.”

“I really hope it’s enough,” Sumire contemplated.

“It’s more than enough,” Akechi assured. “All we need now is to determine the distortion.”

Maruki then ran over with a doctor, who went inside the room while Maruki waited with the other three. “This has happened on more than one occassion so far… The doctor knows the drill so we can just wait out here.”

“We managed to get intel,” Akira addressed.

“Huh? How so?” Maruki asked, confused.

“Let’s discuss this outside,” Akechi said. “It’d be best if we didn’t cause a commotion outside her room.”

The four of them then started heading towards the hospital’s exit. Once they reached the main floor, they walked over to an outer waiting area nearby. No one was sitting around, so it was a perfect place for them to figure out the distortion. 

“So she said something about drowning...” Sumire said as Akira took out his phone and opened the MetaNav app once again. “Does she mean it metaphorically?”

“Considering that we’re dealing with a palace, we can safely assume that she means this literally,” Akechi clarified.

Maruki looked down slightly, hurt evident on his face.

“She also mentioned “nightmare” and “not real”,” Akechi pondered. “As if she felt like she was living in a bad dream.”

“What does the app say if we just use the word “dream”?” Sumire asked.

_Conditions have not been met._

“Nothing, huh?” Sumire sighed.

“Maybe we need to think of this place as being equivalent to a dream,” Akechi analyzed. “What could be similar to something that is considered unrealistic and dream-like?”

“A place that is not real yet a dream…” Maruki also pondered for a moment, before reaching a conclusion. “Maybe it’s not a place at all?”

“What do you mean?” Sumire asked.

“It can very much be a utopia: a place that people dream about even though it's nonexistent. But since she mentioned living in a nightmare, how about we use the term dystopia instead?”

_Result found._

“Looks like that settles it,” Akechi said, before turning to Akira. “What’s the plan, Leader?”

“Let’s check things out,” Akira said.

“Very well,” Akechi affirmed.

“Let’s do it,” Sumire nodded.

Just as Akira was about to start the navigation, Maruki intervened rather abruptly. “W-Wait, let me tag along.”

“And you expect us to trust you in the Metaverse after everything that happened?” Akechi argued, not liking the idea.

“Consider this my apology to everyone,” Maruki said. “I promise to play by the Phantom Thieves’ rules. So please… Let me help Rumi. I don’t want to run away from my problems anymore.”

"Dr. Maruki..." Sumire said, looking down.

Akechi looked over to Akira. “You’re the one that wanted to give him a second chance, so the ball’s in your court.”

“We should let him atone,” Akira said to Akechi, before turning to Maruki. “As long as there’s no funny business.”

“You have my thanks,” Maruki smiled. “I promise to not disappoint.”

“And I hope you keep your word. After all, having an ally stab you in the back is such a frustrating experience,” Akechi said to Maruki, before glancing at Akira. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

Sumire looked between Akira and Akechi with a confused expression. “I feel like there’s a reference that I’m not getting…” 

“All’s in the past,” Akira told Akechi, before turning to Sumire. “Don’t worry about knowing, okay?”

“A-Alright,” Sumire said in a saddened tone.

“Well then,” Akechi started to say to Maruki, “given that you’ll be joining us, we need to decide on a codename for you before we head in.”

“I assume this is to avoid alterations to her cognition,” Maruki concluded.

Akechi nodded. “It would be extremely reckless if we were to use your real name during the infiltration. That being said, let’s start thinking up some possible names.”

“How about Doc?” Sumire suggested.

“That could work…” Maruki pondered.

However, Akechi shook his head. “I disagree. Unless we want to deal with an increase in security, we should refrain from using a name that can make her recall her current situation.”

“How about Knight?” Akira suggested.

“That has a nice ring to it,” Maruki commented.

“If I recall correctly,” Akechi added with a smirk, “that name also suits your flashy getup.”

Maruki let out a nervous laugh. “You have a point there, Akechi-kun.”

“Then it’s settled,” Sumire concluded. “It’s good to have you, Knight.”

“Likewise,” Maruki answered back. “So, shall we get going?”

With that said, Akira activated the MetaNav.

_Beginning navigation…_

In a matter of seconds, they were transported into the Metaverse. And the first thing they saw could only be described with a few words: blue, wet, and filled with fish.


	7. Is it about navigation?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**06/18/20XX - Afternoon**

“This is…” Knight contemplated as he looked around the area.

They had appeared in a dimly lit tunnel that consisted of a sandy floor and sea rock walls all around. There were also some window-like holes on the walls and ceiling that showed fish swimming by back and forth.

“It’s as if we’re in some aquarium located way below the sea’s surface,” Violet observed.

“Seems fitting,” Crow pointed out, “considering that she mentioned “drowning”.” He then looked towards the area that was located right ahead, where a light appeared to shine. “Looks like there’s more to see over there.”

Joker looked over to the light and nodded. “Let’s move.”

“Right,” Violet and Knight nodded.

They started walking in an orderly fashion, trying to reach the end of the tunnel. It was only after a few minutes of walking that they came across a large hole that could lead them deeper into the area. After they looked down, they noticed that there were some evenly separated ledges that seemed stable enough to step on.

“How deep does that go?” Violet asked with unease.

“We won’t know until we go down there ourselves,” Crow responded.

Jumping down on each ledge, the four managed to reach the bottom with ease. It was only after a matter of minutes before they reached the tunnel’s exit and saw an astonishing view. Before them stood what it seemed to be a majestic and glistening city. It was as if the whole scenery was taken from a storybook. And despite there being no water in the city, fish still roamed freely.

“Amazing… This place is just like a utopian city,” Knight expressed in amazement.

“But isn’t this supposed to be a dystopia?” Violet asked in confusion.

“Given the city’s current appearance and the type of distortion, I would say that this is a variant,” Crow pondered, placing a hand on his chin. “It looks like a utopia, but it behaves like a dystopia.”

“That would explain the “nightmare” part,” Joker said.

“Quite so,” Crow nodded. “Although we have yet to see the nightmare of this place.”

“It may be related to the incident that happened long ago… But it may be far worse here in the palace,” Knight acknowledged.

“We should be careful,” Violet said.

That being said, the four of them began to walk through the city at a moderate pace. After traversing the empty streets, they reached the center of the city, which consisted of a tall building encircled by a giant, dark trench.

“T-That’s a big trench,” Violet gasped slightly.

“Speaking of the nightmare,” Joker said, placing his hands in his pockets.

“It appears that we need to traverse this trench in order to proceed,” Crow pondered.

“Let’s check it out,” Joker said.

“Wait, shouldn’t we be more prepared before going down there?” Knight asked worriedly.

“We need to know what shadows we’re dealing with,” Crow gravely enthused. “Their strength will determine our next steps.”

“If that’s the case,” Knight said in a dejected manner. “Let’s hope everything goes smoothly for us.”

Using a steep path near the trench’s edge, the four of them descended down to the bottom of the trench. One thing was the immaculate and unprotected city at the top, another thing was the worsened and dangerous slumps at the bottom.

A shadow with a red aura spotted them right away and was now approaching them. “Halt, this is no place for visitors!”

“Looks like it’s time to throw down,” Crow said, glaring at the shadow. “I can tell that this is going to be an exhilarating fight.”

“Let’s give it our all,” Violet added.

“You ready for this?” Joker asked Knight.

Knight nodded. “It’s time to become a true aid to all of you. I won’t back down!”

The team was then launched into battle: three Fafnirs versus four Persona-users.

Violet started off with a physical attack, only for it to be reflected back at her.

“Seems like physical attacks are useless,” Crow warned the team. “We need to use something else.”

One of the three Fafnirs began to attack the team with Evil Smile, which managed to hit Knight and Joker.

“I changed my mind! I don’t want to be here!” Knight said in fear.

“L-Let’s just leave right now...” Joker added.

“That’s just fear talking,” Crow snapped. “So stop acting like babies and fight!”

Joker and Knight just stood there, staring at the enemy with fear in their eyes.

The second Fafnir then unleashed Gigantomachia, causing colossal damage to everyone, especially Joker and Knight.

“Damn it,” Crow cursed, before turning towards Violet. “We need to bring them back to their senses, stat!”

“On it!” Violet said, before slapping Knight with a paper fan before attacking the enemy with Ella’s Makougaon skill.

Crow then rushed over to Joker and hit him with a paper fan, before using Hereward to unleash Megidolaon on their enemies. “Get it together!”

“Sorry,” Joker apologized quickly, before using Raoul’s Maeigaon.

“That was rather careless of me...:” Knight admitted, before attacking with Azathoth’s Nuclear Crush skill, but to no avail. “What?!”

“Seems it absorbs nuclear skills,” Crow observed. “We should avoid—”

Just then, the team heard a scream from above. “Stop! Stop! I don’t want this!”

The enemies before them started to glow after the shout ended. The third Fafnir then used Gigantomachia once again, only this time, it dealt triple the damage.

“What just happened?” Violet asked with concern as she struggled to stand.

“Wasn’t that…?” Knight pondered in worry as he leaned on his staff.

“Seems like her guards got a boost,” Crow answered with a struggle. “Given the state of our current team, it’d be unwise to continue fighting them. Especially if we value our lives.”

“We need to flee,” Joker urged. “Now.”

“That’d be wise,” Knight responded, before Joker used a Vanish Ball.

Moments later and after a fast sprint, they were at the top of the trench once again.

“That was unexpected,” Violet contemplated as her breathing normalized.

“And to think she’d buff her guards to increase her defenses,” Crow thought aloud. “I could even say it’s similar to Oracle’s skills.”

“We should head back and let the others know about this trip,” Joker suggested.

“That’s our best option right now,” Crow commented. “Given the current circumstances, we may need the extra manpower for whatever else we may find down here.”

“I feel kinda bad about this…” Knight sighed. “We hardly did anything.”

“I’m sure we’ll get more done next time,” Violet assured.

And with that said, the team traveled to their starting point and activated the MetaNav once again. In a matter of seconds, the four had returned to the hospital’s outer waiting area.

_You have returned to the real world. Welcome back._

“So what now?” Maruki asked, concern evident on his face.

“We need to let the others know about her palace,” Akechi enthused.

“I’ll set up a meeting for tomorrow afternoon,” Akira said, before turning to Maruki. “You should join us.”

“Would that really be okay?” Maruki asked, slightly shocked by the suggestion.

“You said you wanted to help, so why not offer your assistance in the Metaverse?” Akechi reasoned. “And given that you know Rumi-san better than anyone on the team, we may require your intel in the palace.”

“I’m sure everyone will understand,” Sumire said.

“Well, alright,” Maruki said. “Akira, let me know when and where the meeting will take place later. I promise to be there on time.”

“Of course,” Akira said with a nod.

Sumire looked at her watch. “Talk about timing! I have just enough time to get back, so I’m gonna have to leave first. See you all tomorrow!” She then began to walk away from the area at a fast pace.

“I’m going to go back up and check on Rumi,” Maruki said. “Maybe what we heard in the palace has a connection to her state in the real world. I’ll keep you all posted if anything arises.”

“Please do,” Akira said.

Maruki nodded. “I need to offer my full support.”

He then turned to leave the waiting area. “Well, I’ll see you all soon.”

Akira and Akechi watched as Maruki began to enter the hospital once again.

Akechi then looked over to his rival. “Akira, do you know if Oracle is free to talk anytime before the meeting? Today’s also fine.”

“She told me she’d be helping Sojiro with the café today,” Akira said, recalling Futaba’s words prior to him leaving for the hospital. “If we get on the subway now, she should be almost done.”

“Perfect. Then let’s head on over. There’s something I’d like to discuss with both of you present.”

“Is it about navigation?”

“Yes,” Akechi affirmed. “I believe it will greatly impact our performance in the palace. I’ll give you the gist of it when we’re on the subway.”

That being said, the two of them started to walk towards the subway station.


	8. He was a good navigator.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**06/18/20XX - Evening**

“Wait so you want to share the navigation responsibilities?” Futaba asked, slightly confused.

The three were in Akira’s room: Akira and Futaba were sitting on the couch while Akechi sat on a separate chair. It was as if it was their little private Phantom Thief meeting.

Akechi nodded at her. “Given that we may need your support more than ever in this infiltration, I’d like to propose a change in navigation tactics. Specifically one that involves me navigating the team and you focusing on buffs during battle.”

“I see… Then how about this: we can do that, but I’ll keep navigating the team outside of battle.”

“Sounds like a good even split,” Akechi commented, before changing his focus to Akira. “You okay with this?”

“No problems here,” Akira said.

“Then the plan is set,” Akechi nodded. “Now we just need a general consensus from the others.”

“We’ll bring it up in tomorrow’s meeting,” Futaba said. “Though I think everyone would be on board with it.”

Futaba then gave Akechi a serious expression. “You better keep up with all of this navigator stuff. One small slip up and the entire team can go down.”

“Rest assured, I was a navigator during the first few days inside of Maruki’s palace,” Akechi said with a smirk. “This is hardly a challenge.”

“I’ll hold you to that, then,” Futaba nodded. “Now, if that’s all we needed to talk about, time to make like a hedgehog and roll out!”

Futaba then left the room as Akira and Akechi stood up.

“Seems like I should be heading out as well. Today’s been unexpectedly tiring,” Akechi sighed. 

“Want to go to the bathhouse for old times sake?” Akira suggested. “It’ll be relaxing for the both of us.”

“It has been a while,” Akechi contemplated, before smirking slightly. “I’ll take you up on that offer.”

* * *

**06/19/20XX - Afternoon**

“I’m surprised no one is shocked to see me here,” Maruki admitted as he took a seat in one of Leblanc’s booths.

“I gave everyone a heads up,” Akira confessed.

Akechi looked over to Maruki as he placed his cup of coffee on its little plate. “Everyone’s surprise and confusion erupted inside the chatroom. And that is something that we should avoid in today’s meeting.”

“R-Right,” Maruki said.

“Well then, let’s get started,” Morgana announced, before everyone got updated on the current situation with Rumi, her palace, and the possible change in navigation tactics.

“So Rumi-san’s condition has a connection to her palace...” Makoto said.

“Given that the connection greatly impacted the first infiltration’s results, I believe the proposed navigation procedures would benefit us for the better,” Yusuke said.

“I’d have to agree,” Haru said.

Ann nodded. “From what you guys said, we may need to switch things up.”

“No kidding,” Ryuji commented. “But man, that’s really effed up… For all we know, she could try to pull a fast one on us.”

“With my extra focus on buffs, that shouldn’t be a problem,” Futaba assured.

“And my fast-witted navigation should keep everyone on their toes,” Akechi added.

“Akira-senpai and I have experienced Akechi-san’s navigation during the first few days inside Maruki’s palace,” Sumire commented. “He really kept us alert at all times.”

“He was a good navigator,” Akira said.

“I’ve only been inside the palace as an ally once, and would agree with Kurusu-kun and Yoshizawa-san,” Maruki added.

“Then if everyone’s okay with these sudden changes, we’ve got ourselves a plan,” Morgana declared. “We should start infiltrating the palace today. We have no idea how drastic the changes in her cognition could be… Especially as the deadline approaches. ”

After everyone nodded in unison, the team decided to head off to the hospital.

* * *

**07/01/20XX - Afternoon**

“What the hell, Joker?!” Crow shouted at the fleeing leader, before looking at the remaining enemy with a tsk.

The team had finally reached the end of the trench, but before they were able to go forward, a shadow had showed up to stop them. And the remaining shadow just so happened to inflict fear on Joker, which made him run off from the current battle. 

Crow used Megidolaon on the remaining enemy to finish it off, before running off behind Joker.

“Should we go after them?” Knight asked in concern.

Just then, another shadow appeared before them.

“We’ve got company at the moment,” Mona said, shaking his head. “I’m sure Crow’s got this covered.”

With that said, the team began to fight their next opponents.

During that time, Joker was reaching the top of the trench while Crow dashed up the slope to catch up to him.

Once both of them reached the top, Crow observed that Joker was approaching a column close by and got an idea. He threw his sword towards the column and, as Crow predicted, Joker began to run in the direction from whence he came. This was an outcome that Crow expected but the result of Joker running to him and giving him a bone crushing hug was unexpected. Feeling a sense of déjà vu, Crow could only sigh and reciprocate the gesture in a reduced manner. “Stop being such a sorry sight, it’s ridiculous.”

“I’m not going back there,” Joker said in a shaky voice.

“There’s no reason to go back now,” Crow stated, only to have Joker squeeze a bit tighter.

The sudden action made Crow’s eyes widen slightly under his mask. His gaze then returned to its serious state, his cheeks flushing to a minimum. “You’re unbelievable.”

It was moments later that Joker came to his senses, slowly removing his grip from Crow and stepping back from him, rather embarrassed. “My bad.”

“So it seems,” Crow said, crossing his arms. “Glad to have you back.”

Footsteps were heard nearby, and turning back to the trench’s descending slope, Joker and Crow saw the rest of the team emerge from the depths and join them.

“Dude, you good?” Skull asked Joker.

“Yeah,” Joker said in his usual, composed tone, before turning to the building that was right next to them. “Let’s keep going.”

After a unanimous nod, the team entered the building in an orderly fashion. Before them was a dimly lit room with a circular stage, which had three squared-altars that were arranged in a triangular manner. Each altar had its own unique plaque, but the two altars that were closest to the entrance did not have a vase like the third altar. At the end of the room and right in front of the third altar, there was a door with strongly weaved roots across it. 

Walking towards the stage, the group noticed a flowerbed that encircled the stage. The lighting present in the room shone upon some red flowers that were unorderly planted on the flowerbed.

“Red Spider Lilies…” Knight uttered in disbelief, before showing a pained look on his face.

“A flower associated with death,” Fox pondered. “It’s both beautiful and delicate, but the connotation for it is rather unsettling.”

“If we were to relate her current condition to these flowers… Her condition may be reaching a critical condition rather soon,” Crow analyzed.

“I had a feeling you’d say that,” Knight admitted.

“We should look around the room for now,” Mona urged. “I have a feeling that door is connected to the altars somehow.”

With a nod, the team went over to inspect the three altars: Panther, Mona, Skull, and Fox went to the first one; Queen, Oracle, and Noir went to the second one; and Joker, Crow, Violet, and Knight went to the third one.

Looking over the first altar on their left, Panther began to read it’s plaque. ““The past, the golden days of joy.”. Is this some kind of riddle?”

“That could be the case,” Mona commented, before turning to the group near the second altar. “What do the other ones say?”

“It says “The present, the colorless days of grief.”,” Oracle read. “Seems like there's some kind of trend with using time.”

“You may be right,” Violet said. “This one says: “The future, will it ever be like the azure of the golden days?”. Though it seems rather similar to the first one...”

“But compared to the other two altars, this one has a vase,” Crow pointed out.

“Maybe flowers are the key?” Joker suggested.

“Good eye, Joker,” Mona said. “We may need to connect the messages with flowers.”

“Using flower symbolisms… Sounds just like Rumi,” Knight commented, a gentle smile on his face. “I feel that we should pick flowers that could be symbolic to her as well.”

Mona turned to Knight. “All right, Knight, since you know Rumi-san better than the rest of us, I believe you should be the one to give the okay on which flower to bring back here.”

Knight nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

“Perfect,” Mona said. “Then let’s start.”

Fox then placed a hand to his chin. “This first one mentions the joy of the past… Perhaps a flower that symbolizes joy?”

“How about Golden Gerberas?” Skull suggested. “My mom usually likes those and she’s mentioned something about the flower meaning happiness.”

“The plaque does mention the word golden, so that could work,” Panther said.

Knight nodded. “I believe so as well. Rumi used to tell me about how she would have a garden of Golden Gerberas near her house when she was little.”

“All right then, next plaque,” Mona said.

“The second one mentions present grief and the word colorless…” Queen pondered. “She must be referring to her current suffering.”

“Maybe Venerable Chrysanthemums? Those are usually used in funerals,” Noir suggested.

Knight nodded. “I believe that’s the best choice. Rumi was already at the hospital around that time… But I’m sure she would have brought that same type of flower to their funeral.”

“We’ll go with that then,” Mona nodded. “Last one.”

“The last plaque compares the first altar’s plaque with an “azure” future…” Violet pondered. “Does she mean a blue flower?”

“That may be the case,” Crow agreed. “Though given the altar’s vase, we may need a bouquet.”

“Blue flowers…” Knight contemplated, before gasping in realization. “Of course!”

The team turned to him in confusion, before Knight continued. “Blue Irises. Back in high school, Rumi and I used to go to a wildflower field, and that field was filled with Blue Irises. She’s always loved that type of flower, especially what it symbolizes.”

“Hope,” Joker added in slight realization.

“That’s right,” Knight chuckled.

“Why am I not surprised about you knowing this fact?” Crow smirked, before pondering for a bit in his serious tone. “So she wonders if her future will ever be hopeful…”

“Rumi used to always view life with optimism and hope. But after what happened, it’s been difficult for her to see life like that again,” Knight said in a sad tone.

“Sounds like we know what to bring next time,” Mona said. “We can’t really do much right now, so I believe it’s best if we leave for today. What do you say, Joker?”

“Let’s head back,” Joker said, before the team went back to the entrance of the palace and returned to the real world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! Longer chapter and posting it on a very special day:) So... Happy Birthday, Goro Akechi! Keep being you\\(^o^)/
> 
> (FYI a birthday chapter WILL exist in the future:D)


	9. It also meant that I missed you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**07/01/20XX - Evening**

“I forgot mine,” Sumire sighed a bit, noticing the rain that was beginning to fall after everyone except Akira and Akechi left. Everyone had coordinated how to get the necessary flowers by the end of the week: Akira was tasked get Golden Gerberas from the Underground Mall’s Flower Shop, Sumire offered get Venerable Chrysanthemums from a well-known shop near her house, and Maruki would go to the wildflower field that’s near his old high school. So now all that’s left is to head back and get ready for some flower collecting.

“Here,” Akira said, offering his umbrella to her.

Sumire blinked in surprise. “Huh? Are you sure, senpai? We can just share like last time.”

“Akira and I are planning on staying in the area for a bit longer, so he can just share mine,” Akechi commented.

“Just give it back to me next time,” Akira added.

“Okay,” Sumire said, before opening the umbrella. She then took one more glance at Akira before walking away. “See you two later then.”

Akechi sighed, opening his umbrella. “I guess it can’t be helped. Let’s go.”

The two of them then began to walk side by side, their arms brushing against each other every now and then.

“Seems Yoshizawa-san still has a liking to you,” Akechi broke the ice.

“You could tell?” Akira asked.

“It’s painfully obvious,” Akechi rolled his eyes. “I’m surprised she’s still at it.”

“She did confess over a year ago,” Akira confessed. “But I had to turn her down.”

“How surprising. Is breaking hearts a new game of yours?” Akechi said, sarcasm evident in his voice.

“Not exactly,” Akira said. “I’m just picky.”

As they continued to walk in the rain in silence, Akechi couldn’t help but recall a memory that happened not so long ago.

* * *

**_FLASHBACK: 06/18/20XX - Evening_ **

_“Are you being serious?” Akechi questioned sternly. “You mean to tell me that our first deal had nothing to do with the Phantom Thieves?”_

_“You were an exception,” Akira confessed._

_Akira and Akechi were reminiscing about the past inside the bathhouse, and one of the topics that they talked about was their first deal._

_“I would have expected a Phantom Thief such as yourself to want the police on your side somehow,” Akechi continued. “So why would the Phantom Thieves pass up on the opportunity of using an Ace Detective in their favor?”_

_“The Phantom Thieves were the last thing on my mind,” Akira said, shaking his head. “And I’ve never thought of using you.”_

_“Oh really?” Akechi said with a glare as he crossed his arms, making the water shift slightly. “Then if not that, then why did you agree to a deal with the Detective Prince? ”_

_“I made a deal with Goro Akechi, not with the Detective Prince.”_

_“And you honestly want me to believe that your only motive was to be my debate partner?”_

_“I genuinely wanted to keep talking to you,” Akira calmly said. “So, in other words, yes.”_

_“But why?” Akechi urged, wanting answers. “Even after you found out about my betrayal, you’d still come to me for more.”_

_“Maybe I just enjoy our time together?”_

_“You ”enjoy our time together”? Really?” Akechi tried to brush it off, before facing away from Akira with a conflicting face. “That’s rather...”_

_Silence filled the bathhouse for a moment. Afterwards, Akechi looked up to his rival, who couldn’t tell if Akechi’s face was red because of the hot water or something else. “The hot water is getting to me. Let’s leave for today.”_

* * *

**07/01/20XX - Evening**

“Why are you so unpredictable?” Akechi asked, keeping his focus on the path ahead of them.

“I assume it’s something I said,” Akira inferred. “That’s usually the case.”

“How cocky,” Akechi joked with a smug smile on his face. “Of course it is.”

The two stopped by a crossroad, waiting for the okay to cross. It was seconds later that Akechi continued with the conversation. “Despite everything, you still find merriment in our outings, betrayal or not.” 

“I find them worthwhile,” Akira said. 

“How so?” Akechi asked, side-glancing at Akira.

“We exchange thoughts and learn more about each other every time we hang out,” Akira contemplated. “And I value that time.”

“I’d have to agree with you on that one,” Akechi said, before they got the okay and began crossing the street. “We do always get something out of those outings in the end.”

It was after they reached the other side that Akira spoke up in a casual tone. “I really did miss you, Akechi.”

“What’s with the sappy declaration?” Akechi smiled in a mockful manner as he tried to brush it off.

“I just felt like saying it.”

Akechi then calmly stopped in his tracks, turning towards Akira. “Akira, let me ask you this: Did you really miss me, or did you miss our outings? Both are two entirely different things.”

Akira had stopped next to him, still under the umbrella. “Do you remember the first time we got together this summer?”

“You mean when you just so happen to find me going to Kichijoji? I recall it vividly.”

“When I saw you leave Kichijoji’s station, I knew I didn’t want to miss my chance to confirm who I just saw,” Akira said, before he looked down. “I didn’t want to live with another regret…” He then focused his gaze on Akechi again. “Back in Maruki’s reality, on the day he intervened, I remembered clearly that I couldn’t sleep well that night… The mere thought of you being dead in this reality made me feel restless.”

Akira then shook his head. “I didn’t betray your wishes, and the reason for that was because I respect you and I want you to be happy, regardless if you were really dead or alive… And I didn’t regret destroying Dr. Maruki’s reality. But I did regret not holding you back that day to stay with you for just a bit longer. And me wanting to do that wasn’t out of pity: it was out of personal selfishness.”

“But in the end, all of that was nothing but a false reality,” Akechi emphasized, not giving any attention to that last detail in his last sentence. “So right now, you shouldn’t have any regrets. I, for one, don’t.”

“I know you don’t,” Akira said. “And even if what you say is true, I just can’t help it.”

“Akira, this is why I pester you about your brainless sentimentality, especially at times when I question whether you have a backbone,” Akechi glared. “You need to get a grip.”

“... When we left the Jazz Jin that day, that hug didn’t only emphasize what I said. It also meant that I missed you. And after what I just said, it should be even clearer to you.”

Akechi remained quiet for a moment, contemplating on what to say, before changing his focus to the path in front of them. “The rain’s picking up. We should go.”

“Akechi,” Akira said, glancing at him as they continued to walk side by side in the pouring rain.

His rival just shook his head. “This is leading us into dangerous territory. We’re stopping. Besides, we have more important things to worry about at the moment.”

It was Akira’s turn to be quiet, before nodding. “Fine.”

The two then continued to walk to their next hangout spot, not bringing the current topic up for discussion again.


	10. Maybe there are emotional barriers?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**07/08/20XX - Afternoon**

“So all we gotta do is place the flowers on the altars, yeah?” Skull asked.

Queen nodded. “We should be able to proceed without any problems. Whenever you’re ready, Joker.”

“Alright,” Joker agreed. “Then let’s place the flowers now.”

With a unanimous nod, the different types of flowers were placed on the altars in an orderly fashion: Joker placed the Golden Gerberas on the first podium, Violet put the Venerable Chrysanthemums on the second podium, and Knight placed the Blue Iris bouquet on the third altar’s vase. Once the three altars were set with the flowers, the door at the end of the room began to slowly retrieve its roots, making the door accessible.

“Seems like that did the trick,” Knight observed.

Crow looked over to Joker. “What’s your call, Joker?”

“Let’s head inside,” Joker answered.

Crow nodded. “Then let’s proceed with caution. Oracle, keep us posted on any abnormalities.”

“Roger that,” Oracle said.

The team then went through the doors, only to see an ancient-looking elevator. After entering the elevator and reaching the bottom floor, everyone marveled at the underground ruins before them. Dead trees and wilted grass adorned the area, and moss covered the ruined building structures. The shadows that were lurking around the area were walking at a slow, murky pace.

“An underground ruin…” Violet contemplated.

“Seems like the deeper we go in, the more depressing it looks,” Crow observed.

“Huh?” Oracle asked in an alerted tone, causing everyone to turn towards her. “I’m getting strange readings in this entire area. Some are recognizable but the rest are brand new as far as I can see. Everyone be on your guard.”

The team started traversing through the area with caution. It was only after a few minutes that they encountered their first shadow.

Two Lamias and two Arahabakis appeared before the first battling team of this infiltration: Joker, Crow, Mona, and Queen.

“Pipsqueaks? Don’t make me—,” Crow started to say in a mocking tone, but then seemed to realize something last minute. “Wait, something’s off.”

“Too easy?” Joker asked.

Crow just scoffed a laugh before addressing Joker’s question. “I can easily kill them off on my own without breaking a sweat. This doesn’t add up.”

“Incoming!” Oracle warned.

A loud, shaky voice resonated throughout the area. “No… What hope is there to see…? It’s useless!”

The Lamias then suddenly obtained a strange, gray aura around them.

“This is new,” Crow said in a curious tone. “They’re likely to have more than buffs right now. Be ready for anything.”

Oracle then began to type away, sending attack, defense, and evasion buffs to the current team. “Alright, here comes the first set of buffs!”

After the team acquired their buffs, the shadows then began to attack. The first Arahabaki used Banishing Wave on the entire team, but only managed to inflict despair on Mona. The second Arahabaki then used Maeiga on everyone, causing heavy curse damage on everyone.

“We’re not going to make it…” Mona agonized, before feeling a sharp pain in his entire body.

Crow glanced towards Mona for a brief second before fixating his gaze at their enemies and using Megidolaon on all of them. “Seems like despair can cost us some health here. It’s best if we finish this off, fast.”

“Way ahead of you,” Joker said, rushing up to one of the Lamia’s and downing it with ease. He then passed the baton to Crow, which made him smirk under his black mask.

“Excellent. They’re going to feel the pain,” Crow said thrillingly, before using Laevateinn on the second Lamia, causing colossal damage to it and knocking it down as well. He then passed the baton to Queen. “Exploit the hell out of that weakness, Queen!”

“On it!” Queen said, before using Agnes’s Mafreidyne on all of their enemies, knocking the remaining Arahabakis down.

With all enemies knocked to the ground, the team performed an All-Out Attack to finish the battle off.

The three teammates, as well as the other members, went over to Mona, who was still looking around hopelessly and taking the occasional damage.

“The ailment is still in effect?” Queen asked in concern.

“His health is still dropping, too,” Oracle pointed out. “Joker, you got anything on you to heal him up?”

Joker nodded, taking out a Relax Gel from his inventory and using it on Mona. Their recovered teammate then blinked a couple of times before looking at everyone in confusion. “What was that just now?”

“No clue,” Panther said, confused herself.

“You were obviously in despair,” Oracle explained. “But that aura must have added a kick to it.”

“Oracle, humor me for a bit: can you investigate this ailment further?” Crow inquired.

“Can do, just give me a sec,” Oracle said.

“Wait, you think there’s something more to this?” Violet asked.

Crow nodded. “It’s just a feeling. So why not ease any doubts?”

He then placed a hand to his chin. “Though it's rather strange to see weaklings in the deeper parts of the palace.”

“We should consider Rumi-san’s condition,” Joker suggested. “Maybe there are emotional barriers?”

“Now that you mention it, that would make sense,” Crow said. “Especially since we broke a barrier not so long ago.”

“You mean the door that we just opened, correct?” Fox asked.

“Precisely,” Crow affirmed. “We can go about this even further if we consider every obstacle we’ve encountered so far: the trench, the room with the altars, and the ruins. The trench consisted of powerful enemies that were protecting the path that led to the building with the altars. These enemies can be seen as Rumi-san’s external defenses.” He then crossed his arms. “Now, a week ago we encountered a barrier that required offerings in order to proceed. In a sense, us giving those flowers was a way for Rumi-san to “open up” to us. And when she did, we were allowed to see her at her most vulnerable. Hence why there are weaker shadows in this area.”

“That would also explain the strange effects of despair…” Knight commented. “I have a bad feeling about what Oracle might find.”

“In any case, we need to make sure that anyone with a status ailment is kept in check,” Queen proposed. “Regardless of the enemy’s strength.”

That being said, the team continued onwards with their exploration while Oracle investigated the unique side effect of the status ailment. They kept on passing structures and dead plant life, while noticing an increase in Red Spider Lilies planted on the deserted soil.

“I’m getting an uneasy feeling about these flowers…” Noir commented.

“Compared to last time, there seemed to be more of them in the upper room… It’s creeping me out,” Skull added.

“That’s probably because we’re nearing the deadline,” Crow explained.

“Then let’s hurry,” Knight said with determination.

Suddenly, Oracle stopped in her tracks. “Guys, hold on a sec.”

“Found anything?” Joker asked.

Oracle nodded. “Looks like Knight’s worry was spot-on. Apparently the status ailments around here do more damage than usual the longer you have them. As for more details on despair… Having it for an extended period of time can be deadly, especially if low on health.”

Everyone looked surprised. Skull couldn’t help but speak up first. “The hell? So we can easily die of despair here?”

Knight sighed as he frowned. “Let me guess: it’s because of Rumi’s condition, isn’t it?”

“Looks like it,” Oracle frowned as well. “The best I can do right now is triple your evasiveness.”

“We’ll manage,” Joker said in reassurance. “If someone is affected, we’ll bring them back to their senses.”

The team then continued to traverse the ruins, finding more sulking shadows as they went further into the area. They decided to proceed with caution whenever they performed an ambush, trying to avoid ailments and using Harisen Recovery whenever necessary. It was when they reached the entrance of a dark cavern that they noticed a shadow with a red aura guarding the area. The team hid behind some boulders as they observed the enemy walking about.

“It’s a strong shadow,” Fox commented.

“And there’s a safe room just after it, too,” Oracle added. “Be careful.”

The current team, after gaining back their lost health, went into battle with an Odin. But before anyone would make a move, a voice started to speak in the same shaky tone as before. “This will be the end…” 

In the blink of an eye, two Arahabakis joined the enemy party. And seconds later, the three enemies were engulfed in a gray aura.

“More enemies?” Crow questioned. “Looks like we have more on our plate.”

Oracle then activated the team’s buffs. “Everyone’s set! Show them who's boss!”

The fight began with Mona using Diego’s Magarudyne, which hit every enemy except the Odin before them.

“Seriously?” Mona complained.

“It seems that the tougher shadow absorbs wind skills,” Crow alerted. “We need to use something else.”

One of the Arahabakis then used Maeiga on the whole team, but it only hit Mona and Queen. The Odin then decided to use Wild Thunder, causing Crow and Queen to become shocked on the spot.

“Damn it… Really?” Crow complained as part of his health points were taken away, before Joker went and used his melee weapon on the Odin, followed by Mona, who did the same.

The second Arahabaki then decided to use Banishing Wave on everyone, which managed to only affect Joker.

“We aren’t going to make it, are we?” Joker asked, hopelessness in his eyes as he looked at the enemies. He then grunted as he felt a sharp pain.

Crow swore under his breath. “Mona, Joker’s in despair, you need to do something, now!”

“Got it!” Mona said, but just as he was about to snap Joker out of it, the Odin decided to use Myriad Slashes on the entire team.

Mona was knocked down while Crow and Queen had no choice but to succumb to the blow. And this was the last attack that hit Joker before he collapsed on the ground.


	11. Thanks for the wake-up call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**07/08/20XX - Afternoon**

“Joker, do you seriously want to die today!?” Crow fumed in his electric state.

“Crow, can’t you see…? We... don’t stand a chance,” Joker responded as he laid on his side, his health visibly in danger.

“Bullshit! Are you really going to let them win?” Crow argued, trying to break free from his shock. “You’re better than this!”

“No, I’m not,” Joker denied.

Crow gritted his teeth, hating his rival’s current lack of perseverance. He then managed to break free from his ailment, but an after effect made him lose part of his health. He clutched at his abdomen in pain as he glared at Joker. “In case you’ve forgotten, we made a deal! Are you really willing to throw that away because of these worthless pieces of scum?!”

“We’ve lost, Crow...” Joker continued on, before he felt another surge of pain.

Noticing that Joker was now at death’s door, his eyes widened. But after a fleeting second, he gave him a glare. “Stop being a coward and fight! You—”

“Crow, trying to convince him in this state is not going to work!” Queen shouted at him. “We need to switch up the party if we want to make it!”

“Damn it,” Crow cursed, realizing that this was no time for a dispute. “Mona, can you still fight?”

Mona had just stood up and healed himself. “Sure can!”

“I’m entrusting navigation to you for the remainder of this battle,” Crow directed. “Oracle, switch it up, now!”

“On it!” Oracle said, typing away. “Violet, Noir, and Knight: you’re up!”

Giving this command, Crow, Joker, and Queen were switched out. Already at a safe location, Queen managed to break free from her ailment, her health points dropping slightly because of the after effect. Joker, however, was still in despair.

“Crow, you should get some Relax Gel from—” Queen started to say, only for Crow to pass by her in a flare after he healed himself.

“No need,” Crow retorted, before reaching Joker and kneeling down next to him. He then grabbed Joker by his shirt, pulled him up to his level, and slapped him. 

Joker’s eyes became wide as he placed a hand to his now red cheek, the despair evidently gone. “Crow?”

Crow then let go of his shirt and swiftly got up. “I meant it when I said I’d slap you awake.”

Joker then healed himself before standing up. “Thanks for the wake-up call.”

“Your depressive blabbering made me sick, so I’m just glad it’s over,” Crow glared, crossing his arms against his chest. He then looked down, his mask hiding his disappointed face. “Besides, if you don’t see it through… I’ll never forgive you.”

With crossed arms, Crow turned towards the continuing battle. “They should be finishing up soon. Make sure you’re ready to head out.”

“I’m already ready,” Joker said casually.

Crow smirked, keeping his eyes on the battle. “And that’s what I like to hear, Joker.”

* * *

**07/15/20XX - Afternoon**

“Did you show it to her?” Morgana asked Maruki as he came out of the hospital.

After the Phantom Thieves entered the cavern and located the nearby safe room, they were able to find the treasure’s location: it was right inside the cavern, specifically in an area with hardly any lighting. And it only took them one week of preparation before sending out the calling card.

“I did,” Maruki responded. “She hardly responded though.”

“Given her condition, I think that’s fine,” Makoto said. “As long as she saw the card, we should be in the clear.”

“Then let’s get moving!” Ryuji beamed.

“Let’s do this,” Akira nodded, before activating the MetaNav app.

_Beginning navigation…_

Arriving at the palace for the last time, the team headed towards the safe room located inside the cavern before heading towards the treasure’s location.

As the team reached the treasure room, they saw a figure holding a closed clam. They could hardly tell the identity of the figure, but the dim lighting could reveal that the person before them was indeed a mermaid who was sitting on a rocky structure.

“Rumi?” Knight asked, taking his shoot at guessing who it was.

“T-Takuto?” Rumi asked, not moving from her spot, before showing a pained expression. “You’re not supposed to be here… No one is!”

“Rumi-san, we just want to help you!” Violet said in a pleading tone.

She just shook her head, clutching the clam even closer to her chest. “No one can help me! It’s useless!”

“We can if you let us,” Joker calmly said.

“No… No one can wake me from my nightmare…” Rumi continued to sulk.

Crow shook his head. “If you keep being negative about this, then how can you see otherwise? You need to trust us for this to work.”

“Please, Rumi-san…” Panther said.

“No, no, no! I’m telling you it’s impossible!” Rumi shouted. “If you’re not willing to see it my way… Then your fates, as well as mine, will be sealed.”

Everyone became more alert at this last sentence.

“Time for a showdown,” Crow alerted. “Everyone better be ready.”

After saying this, Rumi looked up towards the cavern ceiling, desperation in her voice. “Kraken!”

Just then, the entire ceiling for the cavern was destroyed, revealing a giant, crimson kraken. The menace was perched on top of the cavern, extending its tentacles into the open space.

“Crap, for real?!” Skull complained.

“T-That thing’s huge!” Violet added.

“This is no small threat,” Crow said. “Let’s finish it off quickly!”

Joker, Crow, Knight, and Violet were ready for battle after Oracle buffed them up. The kraken’s tentacles began to swing across the area, trying to attack the team, but the attacks missed.

Violet used Ella’s Vorpal Blade on the kraken and Rumi, but the tentacles shielded Rumi from the attack.

“This looks familiar…” Knight commented with a sigh.

“Very,” Crow glared. “We need to take care of that kraken if we want to do any damage to Rumi’s shadow.”

“But it looks like the kraken isn’t taking a lot of damage…” Violet observed.

“Yes, and that is definitely not in our favor,” Crow acknowledged, before noticing something odd inside the area. Red Spider Lilies were in full bloom across the battlefield, and they were clearly not there when they arrived to steal the treasure.

“Those Red Spider Lilies weren’t here before…” Crow contemplated, before turning to his rival. “Joker, we need to eliminate those flowers. They may hold the key to lowering the kraken’s defenses.”

Joker nodded, before looking over to the backup members. “Panther, want to do some burning?”

Panther ran over to a boulder and hid. “I’ll give it my all.”

Crow smirked as he used his gun to shoot at the tentacles that were drawing rather close to them. “Good call. We can’t afford to lose anyone from the current team right now.”

After Joker used Raoul’s Maeigaon and Knight used his melee weapon, Panther was able to sneak over and use Célestine’s Maragidyne on the red flowers, causing them to shrivel up and turn to ashes.

The kraken then screeched, rampaging with its tentacles and hitting random areas of the cavern.

“Crow, give me a hand?” Joker suggested with a glance.

“Gladly,” Crow answered with a thrill. “Let’s give it hell!”

With that said, they both performed their Showtime Attack. The strength of the attack managed to knock it down, which then led to the team’s All-Out Attack.

With the kraken out of the way, it was only a matter of time before the Phantom Thieves finished Rumi’s shadow off.


	12. You're not alone anymore, Akechi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**07/15/20XX - Afternoon**

“It’s over, Rumi,” Knight said, taking the clam that was now laying on the ground.

Rumi just shook her head. “Takuto… Why don’t you leave me be? There’s no hope…”

“Yes, there is,” Knight assured. “You just need to keep on believing.”

“But…”

“Rumi-san,” Oracle intervened. “The present may seem hopeless and gloomy at times because of stuff from the past… But remember: there are people that still care about you. And they want to help you believe in that hope again.”

“Oracle…” Mona said gloomily.

Rumi remained quiet, looking down at the murky ground, before coming to a decision. “... Okay.”

“Okay?” Knight asked, bewildered.

Rumi just nodded slowly, before showing a gentle smile. “I’ll keep holding on… It may be hard, but... I’ll try.”

The palace then began to crumble, rocks starting to fall across the cavern.

“We need to leave,” Mona said, running towards the exit and transforming into a car. Everyone began to board Mona, but Knight didn’t move. Joker, just as he was about to board, looked back at Knight with a reassuring smile. “She’ll be alright.”

Looking over at Joker, Knight nodded with a smile. “Yeah… You’re right.”

He then looked back at Rumi. “Let’s go through this together, one step at a time.”

Rumi smiled, tears evidently forming in her eyes. “I’d like that, Takuto.“

“I’d hate to break such a touching scene, but we need to get out of here,” Crow alerted in his sarcastic tone.

“Alright,” Knight said, his glad mood still intact, before he quickly boarded Mona.

The team then left the cavern behind, speeding through the ruins at a fast pace as rocks and boulders continued to fall. Lucky for them, the elevator was still functional despite the current state of the palace. Mona was then driven out of the altars building, but encountered a slight problem.

“The trench!” Noir exclaimed.

“That’s not good!” Skull added.

Joker quickly looked around and saw that a tall building had collapsed on their side of the trench. He floored it, driving towards the building and using it as a ramp. “You got this, Mona.”

And Mona knew exactly what Joker was planning. As Joker drove Mona off the building, Mona gave a slight push so that they would soar a bit higher. With their collaboration, the team managed to reach the other side of the trench. And moments later, they escaped the dystopian city and returned to the real world.

_The destination has been deleted._

“So that’s that, huh?” Maruki asked, before looking at Rumi’s real treasure in his hands. It was a family photo of Rumi and her parents. “And this was her treasure?”

“That’s right,” Morgana nodded. “It’s what created her palace in the first place.” 

“I see…” Maruki contemplated. “Is it alright if I hold on to it for Rumi?”

“I think she’d appreciate that,” Futaba said.

“So now we wait for the change of heart,” Maruki contemplated. “I couldn’t thank you all enough for your help.”

“You helped, too,” Akira commented.

“I guess I did, didn’t I?” Maruki laughed sheepishly. “After all, not only did I want to make it up to everyone, I wanted to stop running away… And I wanted to help the woman I love recover.”

“Someone’s changed,” Akechi commented. “I assume it’s for the better, yeah?”

“I believe so,” Maruki nodded, before looking at his watch. “Oh! Visiting hours are almost over. I should probably head in while I still have the chance. I’ll update everyone on Rumi’s condition soon.”

With that said, Maruki bid farewell to the Phantom Thieves of Heart.

* * *

**07/18/20XX - Evening**

“Was inviting me really necessary?” Akechi asked, slightly annoyed.

The Phantom Thieves had decided to go and watch the Fireworks Festival from Odaiba’s Seaside Park as part of a well-deserved break. After dealing with Rumi’s palace and successfully stealing her heart, they believed that the break was necessary. Just now, Ryuji, Yusuke, and Morgana were chatting away over at a bench; Ann, Makoto, and Haru were on the Ferris Wheel; Sumire and Futaba were playing around with their own set of fireworks; and Akira and Akechi were admiring the fireworks from the park railings, slightly separated from the group.

“You deserve a break, too,” Akira said. “So why shouldn’t you join us?”

Akechi couldn’t help but smirk. “Then consider this our last day of full rest before our last Mementos missions together. After all, our deal will be coming to a close in less than two weeks.”

The wind picked up slightly, making the two rivals admire the breeze as they leaned on the railings and looked towards the fireworks.

“Paraphrasing Hegel: Putting forward peace and love with active engagement is considered virtue, not delusion,” Akira said, not removing his gaze from their current scenery.

“You seemed to have done your research,” Akechi observed as he kept on watching the scenery as well. He then glanced at Akira. “It’s almost as if you’re making a love confession.”

“What if I am?” Akira said, fixating his gaze on him.

Akechi didn’t look too happy about his response. “I just said that we have less than two weeks left. Once our deal comes to a close, we’re done.”

“But Akechi…”

Akechi shook his head, a frown on his face. “This has to end.”

“It doesn’t have to,” Akira urged on.

“It does, one way or another,” Akechi refused.

“Stop running away from what you’re feeling right now.”

Akechi’s expression became serious. “And that is exactly the reason why I want things to stop... This has been getting far too personal for my liking.” He then looked down. “We understand each other far too well: You know how I truly feel about this matter... and I’m aware of your standpoint and feelings as well.”

“Our relationship was never meant to become so personal. And I’ll be blunt: I hate this. Wanting to sort out these conflicting feelings, wanting to find closure…” Akechi continued, fixating his gaze on Akira’s before shaking his head. “I accepted your deal because I wanted a rematch with you, not because I wanted an emotional conflict to come back and haunt me.”

“You know that this is something we had to bring up eventually,” Akira commented. “For both our sakes.”

Akechi just sighed and averted his gaze, knowing well that the conversation needed to happen sooner or later. “... And I’m well aware of that.”

They remained silent for a while, Akechi not wanting to speak more on the matter and Akira trying to find the words that could reach Akechi in any way.

Akira averted his gaze for a moment, wanting to gather his thoughts and decide on what to say. It was only a matter of time before he brought his gaze back to his rival. “You’re not alone anymore, Akechi.”

Akechi widened his eyes a bit, before his expression became saddened once again. This was enough for Akira to understand that he managed to get to him somehow.

After much thought, Akechi looked towards Akira. “... The day of our rematch. That day, we will decide on a victor and tie any loose ends that we both want to address. This will be my final offer to you. Decide.”

Akira extended his left hand towards him, a gentle smile on his face. “I accept.”

Noticing this gesture, Akechi was slightly taken aback for a brief second, before returning a smile that was both cocky and honest. He then reached towards Akira’s hand and shook it. “Don’t hold back, rival.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter \\(^o^)/  
> And just in case anyone’s curious about Hegel’s actual quote:
> 
> “Propounding peace and love without practical or institutional engagement is delusion, not virtue.”  
> ― Hegel, G. W. H.


	13. I did keep your glove after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**07/27/20XX - Afternoon**

“Are you doing okay, mister?” Jose asked curiously. “You look troubled.”

The Phantom Thieves were yet again in Mementos, and they just so happened to run into Jose, who has appeared before them on multiple occasions since the beginning of June. So it’s no surprise that he’d notice changes in the group’s behavior, regardless of how small the change is. And this applies to Crow as well.

“Do any of my problems concern you, kid?” Crow said in an annoyed tone.

“No but… Here!” Jose said kindly, taking out a cookie from his pocket and extending it towards him. “I hope you feel better!”

Crow looked at him strangely before taking the cookie from him. It was after reading the flavor that he felt a vein pop. It was a maple-flavored cookie. “Really?”

Noticing Crow’s annoyance, Joker looked over to Jose with concern. “Do you have any other flavors instead of that one?”

“Oh, you don’t like this flavor?” Jose asked Crow in surprise. “I believe I have other ones, hang on…”

After rummaging through his other pocket, he took out a vanilla flavored cookie and extended it towards him. “How about this one?”

Crow then turned to Joker, a glare on his face. “Is this really necessary?”

“He’s just trying to be nice,” Joker explained.

Crow sighed in annoyance, before turning his attention to Jose again. “Fine.”

Jose and Crow then exchanged cookies.

“Let me know if you need anything! I’ll be around the area,” Jose said, looking over to Joker. “Good job!”

He then got in his blue car and drove off.

Joker turned to Crow, his hands in his pockets. “You wanna talk about it?”

“Do I seem like I want to talk?” Crow glared as he put the cookie away.

“Not really,” Joker answered. “But you do seem to have something on your mind.”

Crow just looked at him in silence for a few seconds, before speaking his mind. “Let’s talk after we’ve called it a day.”

* * *

**07/27/20XX - Evening**

“Akira, I have a request,” Akechi said as he saw the last of the members enter the subway station.

“What is it?” Akira asked, quite curious.

Akechi placed a hand to his hip. “I’ve been meaning to blow off some steam against a worthy opponent in the Metaverse, and I want you to tag along.”

“Sounds like I’m not the worthy opponent.”

Akechi just chuckled, a smug look on his face. “As my rival, you are more than worthy to face off against me. But that’s for another day, specifically one week from now. I’m talking about the Reaper.”

“Why the Reaper?”

“I want to feel the adrenaline of battle rushing through my veins, so I thought: what’s more thrilling than facing death itself?” Akechi explained. “You in?”

Akira nodded without much thought. “I’m game. When do you wanna go?”

“Tomorrow evening,” Akechi answered. “Will that be a problem?”

“Not at all,” Akira said.

And with that said, the two had finalized their plans to face off against a deadly opponent.

* * *

**07/28/20XX - Evening**

Crow and Joker were walking aimlessly around Mementos, awaiting the Reaper’s appearance. Other than the sound of their steps, the occasional groan lurking in the area, and their occasional exchange of words, the area was silent.

“Just waiting around is exhilarating,” Crow said with a thrill. “Imagine when it actually shows up.”

“Someone’s enjoying himself,” Joker commented, a smile on his face.

“Please, we’re just getting started.”

Just then, the sound of chains resonated close by, making the rivals become aware of their surroundings. An uncommon shadow appeared around the corner, showing its red, menacing aura as it approached them.

“Look who’s here,” Crow said, eyeing the shadow. “Let’s obliterate it to dust!”

And thus, the battle began with the Reaper shooting one of its guns upwards and using Concentrate. But before the Reaper could make another move, Crow used Hereward’s Debilitate to minimize its stats.

“How about no,” Crow mocked. “Joker, do it!”

Joker then used Raoul’s Eigaon, causing some heavy curse damage. The Reaper then decided to use Vorpal Blade, but missed them both.

“It’s useless, idiot!” Crow laughs, before using Rebellion Blade on the Reaper. “You don’t stand a chance!”

Joker decided to use his gun to down shot the enemy, which led them to perform an All-Out Attack that managed to do a significant amount of damage. The Reaper then used Riot Gun, which managed to hit Crow.

“Oh?! I guess you DO want to die!” Crow threatened, before looking over to Joker. “Let’s bring it maximum pain, Joker!”

“Got it,” Joker affirmed, before using their Showtime Attack.

It was after this attack that the Reaper was fully defeated. Crow grabbed at his mask in pure bliss. “What a lovely thrill.”

“I’m glad you had fun,” Joker said.

“Are you saying you didn’t?” Crow raised a brow as he used that cocky smile of his.

“Of course not,” Joker clarified. “It’s been ages since we’ve teamed up like this. We’re usually in a team of four.”

He then smiled softly at Crow. “And apart from the fun, it makes me happy to see you being you.”

Crow scoffed a laugh. “How cheesy.”

“But it’s the truth.”

Crow’s expression became serious as he looked at Joker, as if he was trying to find something hidden within him, before speaking up. “I know it is.” He then turned towards the path that leads them to the upper area. “Unless you’re up for a round two, we should probably go.”

“I can handle a few more Reapers,” Joker said, before a cocky smile appeared on his face. “That is, of course, if you can manage more than two rounds.”

Crow laughed. “I’m always up for a massacre.”

After this exchange, the duo decided to go up. But the reason why was different: they still had the objective of beating more Reapers into submission.

* * *

**07/28/20XX - Night**

“I’m intrigued that you managed to indulge in my request for more than I anticipated,” Akechi admitted to Akira as they walked down Shibuya’s Subway Station.

“I gotta keep up with my rival,” Akira said, humor in his tone.

“As you should,” Akechi said matter-of-factly. “We’ve gained the same amount of experience up until this point, so I see no reason why you shouldn’t be up to par with me. That being said, I will not expect anything half-assed on your part when we fight.”

“I promised I wouldn’t hold back,” Akira said. “And I’m keeping my word.”

“Then that’s good to hear,” Akechi nodded.

After walking in silence through the subway area and approaching their splitting point, Akira spoke up. “I did keep your glove after all.”

Akechi stopped in his tracks, surprise evident on his face. “What?”

Akira stopped, several feet separating them from each other. “You sound surprised.”

“Isn’t that obvious?” Akechi questioned. “And here I thought you symbolically kept this duel in mind… Why keep an object like that in your possession after all this time?”

“Our promise officially started with that glove. Me getting rid of it would mean that I didn’t value our promise. And it would also mean that I didn’t think of crossing paths with you again.”

“So you decided to keep it?” Akechi said, his surprise being replaced with seriousness. “In hope of fulfilling that promise?”

Akira nodded. “I want to beat you, fair and square. I may have feelings for you, but that doesn’t mean I’ll make things any easier. I’m serious about our duel, and me keeping your glove is proof of that.”

“Akira,” Akechi said as he crossed his arms, his face faintly flushed. “I know this question is way overdue, but what’s with these unforeseen surprises each time we meet? You’re becoming more incomprehensible by the day.”

“Maybe I just like surprising the person I like?” Akira responded with a question of his own.

“Cocky as always,” Akechi smirked under his breath. He then placed a hand to his face, feeling the faint warmth from his cheeks coming in contact with his fingers. “You truly are frustrating...”


	14. You... kept your word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**08/03/20XX - Afternoon**

“I didn’t expect you to request a day off from Mementos,” Morgana said as he sat on a café chair and looked over to Akira. “Got something planned?”

Akira had offered to help Sojiro with the shop that day during the morning and afternoon. So now he was washing some dishes before finishing up.

“Akechi and I are meeting up later,” Akira said, not looking away from his work. “We made a deal, so we want to make sure we don’t get overly exhausted because of Mementos missions today.”

“Sounds serious,” Morgana said, concern evident in his voice. “Reminds me of that time he asked you to go to Mementos that one time. You’d better be careful.”

“I’ll be fine,” Akira reassured. “It’ll be just like back then.”

“Well, if you say so,” Morgana said, still looking worried.

Their attention was then drawn to someone entering the café and approaching them. “Good afternoon, Akira-kun, Mona-chan.”

“Looks like it’s time for me to head out,” Morgana said, before jumping down from the café chair and standing next to Haru.

“Seems like you have plans yourself,” Akira asked.

“Mona-chan and I decided to spend some time together today and have a sleepover afterwards,” Haru explained happily.

Morgana nodded. “So don’t wait for me to come back today, okay?”

“Got it,” Akira said, drying his hands. “You two have fun.”

“Thank you, we will,” Haru beamed.

Morgana then looked up at Haru. “Shall we?”

And with a nod from Haru, the two left Leblanc, leaving Akira to organize some things in the café. It was then that the shop door opened once again, revealing Sojiro with a grocery bag at hand.

“Thanks for helping out today,” Sojiro said, placing the bag behind the counter and looking at the café’s clock. He then turned towards Akira. “You said you needed to leave right about now, yeah?”

Akira looked at the clock and then back at Sojiro with a nod. “I made some plans in advance.”

“Then since I’m back, I’ll continue to tend to the shop,” Sojiro smiled. “You have fun.”

“Thanks,” Akira smiled, before going upstairs to make his final preparations.

* * *

**08/03/20XX - Evening**

“So the rules are: one Persona and any melee goes,” Crow stated. “And no healing.”

“Sounds fair,” Joker said, agreeing to the terms. “Though I think I can beat you even without my Persona.”

“Is that a challenge, Joker?” Crow threatened eagerly. “I’d be more than happy to change the rules and make you regret ever thinking of such a suggestion.”

Joker just put his hands in his pockets. “No need to change the rules once set. We already have a healing handicap, and adding another one may not be the best idea for this fight.”

“True, though the second suggestion sounds truly captivating,” Crow said, before placing a hand to his hip. “But let’s stick with the current rules right now. As you said, it’s better that way.” He then cocked a brow in amusement. “But I am rather curious: are you honestly scared of losing to me in a traditional fight?”

“I beat a manipulative palace ruler, who just so happened to be my ex-counselor, in a fistfight,” Joker said matter-of-factly. “I’m anything but scared.”

Crow chuckled. “You know, I never really addressed this quarrel of yours with him. I was merely joking around back then, but I have to admit: it was amusingly satisfying seeing you punch him in the face. Made me want to punch his lights out as well, considering the hell he put us through.”

“He was asking me to kill all of his last regrets,” Joker clarified. “And I gladly obliged.”

“How generous of you,” Crow said, sarcasm evident in his voice. “But then again, it’s “you” we’re talking about.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment?” Joker raised a brow in a cocky manner.

“That, or I could be giving you some harsh criticism,” Crow added, his sarcasm gone. “Either way, we should stop wasting our time with this fruitless exchange and focus on our main goal for the evening.”

Joker nodded, taking out his dagger. “Let’s get started then.” 

“Very well,” Crow said, before walking past Joker and positioning himself on the other side of their chosen area in Mementos, sword in hand. “It’s time you showed me what you’re really made of.”

“Likewise,” Joker said, making a battle stance.

And thus, their fated battle began. Crow rushed towards Joker in a frenzy, only for Joker to swiftly dodge his attack. It was then that Joker lunged with his dagger and landed a success hit on Crow.

“That’s nothing,” Crow said, unfazed by the attack, before putting a hand to his mask. “Hereward!”

Crow’s Persona used Rebellion Blade, which managed to hit Joker with colossal damage. It was after this attack that Joker placed a hand on his mask as well.

“Raoul!” Joker called, making his Persona use Heat Riser to raise his attack, defense, and evasiveness. And the increase in stats was just enough to make Joker avoid Crow’s Riot Gun attack.

“Stop dodging around!” Crow shouted, before Joker slashed at him with his dagger again.

“Better?” Joker smirked, before jumping away from him and standing his ground once again.

Crow just huffed a laugh. “Much better. But...”

It was then that Crow used Hereward’s Debilitate skill, making Joker’s stats revert to their original states. Now it was Crow’s turn to smirk. “Not with those buffs.”

Joker, not appearing phased by this reversal, used Sword Dance on Crow. Feeling the impact of the attack, Crow grunted as he grabbed at his abdomen, a smug look on his face. “Last time I checked, that’s not part of Raoul’s skills.”

Joker twirled his blade freely. “Skill cards come in handy.”

“That may be,” Crow said, managing to stand tall despite the amount of health he has lost in total. “But don’t think that’s going to be enough to finish me off.”

He then grabbed at his mask. “Persona!”

Crow decided to use Laevateinn, which made Joker almost lose his footing after the hit.

“I’m not done,” Joker declared, panting as he felt the lowering health affect him. He then used Raoul’s Sword Dance once again, only this time Crow managed to dodge the attack.

Crow then ran over to attack with his sword, only for Joker to counter the attack with his dagger. They separated after the attack in a flash, creating some adequate distance between them, before aiming their guns at each other in complete sync. The sudden synchronization made Crow smirk as he panted in exhaustion. “Looks like great minds think alike.”

Joker was eyeing his rival, panting as well. “I agree, especially since you’re the thesis to my antithesis.” 

“Touché,” Crow said, staring down at Joker.

Apart from their rigid breaths, there was silence in the area as both rivals pointed their guns at each other, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. They remained still and alert, their fingers not hesitant to pull the trigger and decide on the victor.

Moments later, two gunshots were heard one after the other. A grunt and a hiss were heard closely at the same time, but a thud from one side of the battleground came faster than the clank of a gun from the other. And that thud could only mean one thing: the duel had a victor.

“I told you... that I’d be the one... to defeat you,” Crow breathlessly said, kneeling on the ground. He had let go of his gun and was now holding his right arm in pain.

Joker was out of breath as well, supporting his weight on one knee. His left hand was clutching the right side of his abdomen, while his other hand continued to hold the gun. “You… kept your word.”

Crow nodded, before he shakily stood up and approached Joker, his steps becoming slow due to the fatigue. Once he reached him, he took off his black mask and placed it at the top of his head. He then bent down and grabbed onto Joker’s jacket, not caring about the pain in his arm, before pulling him up towards his face and pressing their lips together without further hesitation. It was only after a matter of seconds that Crow parted slightly, their faces bright pink from the sudden contact. “And that was a loose end… that I wanted to tie.”


	15. We could always become an item.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**08/03/20XX - Night**

“Music has quite the effect in closed environments. This club was already so laid back without any music playing, but now there’s a rather soothing atmosphere,” Akechi pondered as he placed down his drink on the table, listening to the jazz singer in the room.

The Jazz Jin was usually crowded up at this time at night, the customers chatting away as they enjoyed the establishment’s smooth jazz. Akira and Akechi rarely frequented the jazz club at this time of day, but they wanted to take a breather after their duel. So now they were sitting on a high-end table in the jazz club, their seats next to each other, while they enjoyed the good music, drinks, and company.

“The music is always very relaxing,” Akira said, his attention more on Akechi than on the singer. “It’s nice.”

Akechi turned towards Akira slightly. “I still find it interesting how music, especially jazz, can affect a person’s mood. One could be so worked up after a long day, and yet jazz seems to alleviate stress to some degree.”

“Makes me want to come here every night,” Akira laughed slightly. “Though I think time here is best shared.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Akechi nodded, a smug smile forming on his face.

They then remained silent, taking sips of their drinks on occasions as they heard the jazz singer sing her tune, both calm and filled with emotion. It was only a matter of time before the singer finished her song and went on to the next one, which was just as relaxing as the previous one.

“The atmosphere also feels rather intimate,” Akechi commented, glancing at Akira. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

“It’s an undeniable fact,” Akira said with a soft grin, their gazes meeting. “Though I’m pretty sure it’s more than just the atmosphere.”

Akechi chuckled briefly. “So it seems.”

“Does it bother you?” Akira asked.

“Not in the slightest,” Akechi admitted. “Though to be fair, I feel as if we need to decide on some common ground. What say you?”

“It’s a good idea,” Akira agreed. “The nature of our relationship would be less complicated that way.”

“And more reassuring,” Akechi added. “Especially after being a couple of emotional fools on two different occasions.”

“Do you regret it, though?” Akira said, taking a sip of his drink before placing it down again.

“Have I ever regretted my life choices, Akira?” Akechi questioned, a brow raised. “I’m too proud to even think about regrets. Unlike you.”

“All for a good reason, Akechi,” Akira said, his gaze never leaving Akechi’s as he gently placed a hand on top of his rival’s knee, who tense up for a second at the sudden invasion of personal space.

He then relaxed, sighing slightly, before placing his hand on top of Akira’s. “I know.”

Moments passed, and it was Akira who spoke up first. “We could always become an item.” 

This earned a chuckle from Akechi. “Had this been over a year ago, I would have brushed this off as a distasteful joke. But given our current circumstances, it sounds rather tempting. I’d be alright with becoming exclusive if you’re up for it.”

He then smirked at him knowingly. “That is, of course, if you wish to continue our rivalry as well.”

“I have no problem with that,” Akira answered, gently flipping the hand on Akechi’s knee and intertwining their fingers.

“Then it’s decided,” Akechi concluded with a nod, not letting go of his new boyfriend’s hand.

* * *

The pair of rivals, after a couple more drinks and jazz songs, decided to call it a night. They were now walking back to the subway station, side by side, across the dimly-lit Kichijoji area.

“It’s gotten rather late,” Akechi said, before glaring at Akira. “And from the looks of it, I’ll only be able to make it halfway home before the subways stop running for the day. Props to you for living closer to the area and not having to take a cab.”

“You can always stay over at Leblanc tonight if you want,” Akira offered. “I’ll even throw in breakfast, coffee included.”

Akechi raised a brow at him. “Are you offering because we’re seeing each other now?”

“I’d offer even if we weren’t together, Akechi,” Akira said matter-of-factly. “I did let Yusuke stay over once, and that was mainly because he needed a place to stay.”

“You’re too nice for your own good,” Akechi commented, before stopping at the subway station’s entrance. “I’d rather not pay taxi fare today, so I’ll take you up on that offer.”

“All right, then,“ Akira said as he stopped as well, a pleased smile on his face.

They then began to descend down the electric stairs, Akechi first, Akira second. And as they were halfway down, Akechi turned his head to look at Akira.

“On a side note,” Akechi addressed. “Are pleasantries between us really necessary at this point? I already disregarded them ages ago, yet you go on as if we’re just mere acquaintances.”

At the end of this sentence, the two of them had reached the bottom of the stairs and were now walking towards the boarding area.

“I didn’t think you’d be comfortable with me using your first name,” Akira confessed, his hands in his pockets.

“How considerate,” Akechi said with a hint of sarcasm. 

Moments later, the subway was arriving at the station just as the two rivals arrived at the platform.

“To be fair, no one has used my first name in years…” Akechi continued, observing the subway doors open. “But given our current relationship, I’m giving you the liberty of doing so.” He then glanced at his rival, a smug yet honest smile on his face. “You should feel privileged.”

After this remark, Akechi entered the subway. And Akira, with a calm smile on his face, followed suit.

* * *

“Checkmate,” Akira said, making his final move on the chess board.

“You’ve improved,” Akechi commented as he sat on his chair leisurely. “Though I can’t say I’m surprised. Now, what do you want?”

Both had arrived at Leblanc and decided to play a round of chess in Akira’s room before calling it a night. They had set up the table near the stairs closer to the center of the room, along with two chairs. And just as Akira was bringing up the chess board and pieces, Akechi proposed to add a fun twist to their game: the loser gets to comply with the winner’s wishes.

Akira casually took his chair and placed it on Akechi’s side of the table. He then sat down and turned slightly towards him, his elbow placed on the table as his cheek leaned on the palm of his hand. “Let me kiss you.”

Akechi snickered amusingly, before shifting slightly in his seat as well, their knees barely touching. “Is that all? You’re such a romantic.”

Seeing this as an okay, Akira went ahead, confidently leaning in and kissing Akechi. It was a slow peck on the lips, as if he were testing the waters, but it was enough to make Akira’s face go red. He had recalled their kiss over at Mementos: Akechi had just kissed him without any hesitation, but he didn’t react fast enough to kiss back. So he wanted to actually kiss him this time.

“That’s it?” Akechi challenged as he arched a brow, his face hardly pink. “Just for the record, Akira, you don’t have to beat me in a game to ask for such a simple kiss.”

“Who said I was done?” Akira asked, placing a hand on his right cheek as he planted a kiss on the other. He then kissed his forehead, followed by his nose and chin, all the while stealing glimpses of his rival’s reddening face.

“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?” Akechi glared, watching Akira’s every move.

Akira just moved his occupied hand to his neck and kissed a corner of his lips. “What if I am, Goro?”

Akechi’s eyes widened slightly as he heard his name coming out of Akira’s mouth for the first time. He then sighed gently, before pinching one of Akira’s cheeks and drawing him back. 

“Ow?” Akira said. The pinch didn’t really hurt, but it was rather amusing to him.

“You’re a tease,” Akechi said, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

“I did say “let me kiss you”,” Akira said with a chuckle.

Akechi just stared at him with a serious expression, his cheeks still aflame, before he sighed. “You sappy idiot.”


	16. I'm just following tradition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**08/04/20XX - Morning**

Akira was slowly slipping into consciousness once again, feeling a hand on his messy hair and a pair or legs entangled with his own. He then opened his eyes sleepily, only to realize that one of his arms was bent under his head as a pillow, while his other arm was around Akechi’s waist.

He recalled that when they went to sleep, Akechi had taken the initiative to sleep on the bed because he refused to sleep on the couch. He said he’d rather lay on a bed with part of his personal space invaded than wake up with back pain. And if they unconsciously cling to each other in their sleep, then so be it: if it happens, it happens. They’d need to get used to it sooner or later.

Akira then felt the fingers in his hair move, as if to feel what they were actually touching, before he felt a light tug at one of the strands. It was seconds later that Akechi woke up, his eyes staring blankly at Akira’s. “Morning.”

“Morning,” Akira said back, a soft smile on his face. “Seems like we’re in a bind.”

“Given the time of day, I couldn’t care less,” Akechi said with little enthusiasm. “I’m NOT a morning person.”

“Duly noted,” Akira said.

“Though I will say one thing,” Akechi continued on, feeling some more of Akira’s strands on his fingertips,”this has been the soundest I’ve slept in days.”

Akira moved the hand that was on Akechi’s back, only to place it on top of the hand that was in his hair. “Then I’m glad.”

Just then a dim chime came from downstairs. “Hey, Akira! One of your friends is here with your cat.”

“I was wondering why he wasn’t here last night,” Akechi commented nonchalantly.

“He had plans with Haru for the whole day,” Akira explained. “He even stayed over at her place.”

“Oh really? How convenient,” Akechi remarked sarcastically.

“It was a coincidence,” Akira confessed.

“Maybe so,” Akechi said, slowly untangling himself from Akira and sitting up. “But either way, it was still an opportune moment for us to be alone.”

Akira sat up moments after, before extending his hand towards Akechi and running his hand through his hair endearingly, a gentle smile on his face. “Yeah.”

Akechi just let him be, feeling Akira’s gentle touch as he unconsciously gave a genuine smile. Despite it being a small one, Akira managed to take notice of it. They felt that no one could pull them away from this simple moment between them. Well, except Akira’s current roommate who had gone up the stairs to tell Akira about his arrival.

“Akira, I’m ba—” Morgana started as he reached the attic, only to look at the current scene with wide eyes. “Akechi?! What are you doing here?”

“Welcome back,” Akira said, casually removing his hand from Akechi’s hair and placing it to his side.

Akechi was now glaring at Morgana, his smile gone. “In case it isn’t obvious enough, I stayed the night.”

“I can see that,” Morgana said. “But why are you two using the same bed? I can understand me crawling into bed with you as a human, but this is completely different.”

“Oh? Care to elaborate on that?” Akechi asked with a smirk, glancing at Akira.

“He was human while unconsciously thinking he was still a cat,” Akira explained.

“Ah, that explains volumes,” Akechi acknowledged with a smug look on his face.

“Well, in any case, let me know when he decides to stay over,” Morgana insisted. “I sleep on that bed too, y’know!”

“Can do,” Akira nodded.

* * *

“You had fun?” Akira asked as he grabbed a spoon and continued to stir the pot’s non-spicy curry.

“Of course I did but... Seriously, you and Akechi?” Morgana contemplated as he peeked over the coffee bar to look at Akira. “I can’t say I’m surprised but...”

“We just ironed some things out,” Akira said, giving the pot one last stir before covering it with a lid. He then walked over to the coffee machine and began preparing some coffee.

“Honestly, I didn’t think that him not hating you would mean that he liked you this much…” Morgana frowned. “But as long you’re both happy.”

Akechi, already in his daily attire, came downstairs and took a seat next to Morgana. It was a good thing that they both went down to the laundromat before going to sleep. “I’m hoping that curry isn’t spicy.”

“It’ll suit your taste,” Akira said, before pouring some freshly made coffee onto a small cup.

Right when Akira had placed the cup of coffee in front of his rival, Akechi had extended his hand towards it. His hand grabbed the coffee cup’s plate slightly, which allowed him to touch Akira’s hand with both intent and discreteness as they met each other's gaze with a soft smile. The gesture, despite being done for a few seconds before pulling away, was enough to show gratitude towards each other.

Taking a sip, Akechi hummed in approval. “A cup of this coffee early in the morning truly makes my stay worthwhile.”

“We can make a repeat of this if you want,” Akira said, opening the pot and serving two plates of curry.

“I believe it’ll be inevitable,” Akechi said, placing his coffee down on it’s little plate as he received the plate of curry in front of him. “But I do wonder how we’re going to keep doing this once classes start again.”

“Our universities are not too far apart from each other, so maybe we could rent an apartment together?” Akira suggested, finding two sets of silverware in the kitchen before giving one to his rival.

After their many outings, they came to know how they were attending universities that were close by and sometimes joked about how living together would make their lives easier. But they disregarded the thought due Akechi commenting on how Akira had “better” people to room with. 

“As long as we plan our finances accordingly, I don’t see a problem with that,” Akechi agreed as Akira sat down next to him, ready to dig into his plate of curry. “Besides, our lifestyles don’t seem to conflict with each other, so cohabitation wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

He then turned to the cat next to him. “Morgana, since you’re rooming with Akira, what’s your say in all of this?”

“I’ll go wherever he goes,” Morgana said. “But I do have one request: I want my own bedroom.”

“You scared of walking in on us?” Akechi smirked.

This earned a cough from Akira, who had just choked on some curry due to the bold use of words.

“I’m not scared,” Morgana said in a serious tone. “I just know when people need their privacy.”

“Fair enough,” Akechi said, before turning to Akira. “You want to start searching tomorrow?”

“Fine by me,” Akira said as he cleared his throat, a pink blush still lingering on his cheeks.

After they finished breakfast, Akechi got up and told Akira that he was going to get his suitcase and head out. Seeing Akechi go up, Akira calmly cleaned up everything, before heading up as well. Reaching the attic, Akira noticed Akechi checking his watch for a second, suitcase in hand.

“Is there a reason why you came up here seconds before I left?” Akechi asked, noticing him come up. He then met his gaze. “What is it?”

“You’re forgetting something. Catch,” Akira said as he leisurely searched his pockets and threw an item at Akechi in a concave fashion.

Akechi caught the item with his free hand and looked at it with a smirk. “Well, if it isn’t my old glove. Are you giving it back or are you insinuating something?”

“I’m just following tradition,” Akira said knowingly.

Akechi huffed a laugh, his grasp on the glove tightening a bit. “Then I accept.”

Putting the glove away in his pocket, Akechi walked over to Akira, placing the hand that once held his glove to his cheek and suavely kissing a corner of his lips.

“That’s for yesterday,” Akechi teased knowingly as he fixed his eyes on Akira’s, their faces close. “I’ll give you a proper one before today’s meeting.”

Distancing himself, he began to descend the steps, leaving a blushing Akira at the top of the stairs.

But Akira managed to regain his composure in time to stop him halfway down. “Wait, today’s meeting?”

Akechi turned to look at him again, his hand on the railing. “We ARE dueling again in the future, so I believe our days in Mementos are far from over, wouldn’t you agree?”


	17. I wanted to jog your memory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**08/11/20XX - Afternoon**

“You’re asking for it, you pieces of shit!” Crow yelled defensively, standing his ground as he pointed the gun at the rest of the Phantom Thieves.

“Crow, you’re brainwashed and not—” Oracle tried to reason with him, but to no avail.

“I am NOT brainwashed!” Crow spat back furiously.

The Phantom Thieves were working on their daily missions over at Mementos, but their most recent battle involved a Shadow that could brainwash its foes. And Crow wasn’t so lucky when the Shadow unleashed their skill.

Joker was thinking for a moment, trying to figure out a way to bring him back to his senses, before a thought came to mind. “... I’m going to enrage myself.”

“What?!” Violet questioned in confusion.

“Joker, are you serious? Having two inflicted party members instead of one is—” Queen tried to explain.

Joker shook his head. “It’ll be fine. I may need to speak one-on-one with him for this to work, so let’s just meet up at the nearest resting area.”

Mona sighed. “Well, alright. But be careful.” 

“I know,” Joker said, knowing the root of Mona’s worry. He then placed a hand to his mask. “Persona!”

Calling upon Thoth, he used this Persona’s Taunt skill on himself. It only took him one try before his expression became infuriated.

Joker, having a hand to his mask, shot daggers at his brainwashed rival. “Crow… The hell do you think you’re doing?”

Crow just glared back, his full attention on Joker. The rest of the Phantom Thieves didn’t notice anything new after Joker enraged himself, but Joker could tell that a red hue was creeping slowly under Crow’s mask. “You think getting angry at me is going to change things? That’s pathetic.”

Joker then began to strut over to him. “Come with me.”

Crow began to shoot his gun at Joker, but the leader managed to dodge each bullet with swift style.

Just when Joker was about to extend a hand to grab his arm, Crow dodged the hand and pointed his gun at Joker’s head. “I’m not going ANYWHERE with—”

Joker just kicked the gun out of his hand, making it fly up into the air. Crow’s reflexes were about to kick in, but Joker responded faster by seizing both of Crow’s hands behind his back with one hand. And once Joker caught the falling gun in his free hand, he began to walk away with Crow. “You are and you will.”

“Let go of me!” Crow complained, struggling under Joker’s tightening grasp.

The rest of the Phantom Thieves just watched them leave, confusion on their faces.

“Talk about a sense of déjà vu,” Panther commented.

“For real…” Skull said, leaning back against one of his legs.

“Let’s just head back to the nearest safe room for now,” Mona said with a serious tone. “Knowing them, they shouldn’t take too long to sort things out.”

The team then began to travel towards the next resting area, which was on a floor below them.

Meanwhile, Joker and Crow were approaching the ascending platform of the area. Arriving at the platform, Joker threw the gun into a corner and quickly slammed Crow against the closest wall, his hands tightly gripping against Crow’s arms.

“Damn it, Crow…” Joker fumed with gritted teeth. “This isn’t you!”

“Of course it is!” Crow argued back. “Are you expecting me to believe this mindless game of yours?”

“That’s all a load of bullshit and you know it!” Joker yelled.

“You don’t know shit!” Crow yelled back, inching his face towards Joker menacingly.

This made Joker’s grip become even tighter. “CROW!”

In a blink of an eye, the anger in Crow’s eyes was gone, only to be replaced with shock for a moment. But then Crow tsked, his face now showing a glare.

He then took off his mask with one hand, placing it at the top of his head. And without any hesitation in his movements, Crow grabbed the back of Joker’s head and pulled him in for a rough kiss, which Joker immediately returned with the same intensity as he placed his own mask on top of his head as well. With both masks no longer hiding their true faces, Joker pushed Crow against the wall even more, causing Crow to stifle a moan and move his other hand to Joker’s back in a clawing grip. Feeling the clawing sensation, Joker encircled a strong arm around Crow’s waist with a groan, bringing him closer as their mouths opened in sync. He then placed a free hand to Crow’s neck as their kisses became needier and hungrier, their tongues heatedly intertwining with each other.

Crow then felt the hand on his neck move, only to feel its fingers rub his earlobe gently. This made Crow turn the tables on Joker, pushing him up the wall instead. But instead of kissing him senseless once again, Crow just kissed him deeply once more before biting Joker’s lower lip, which in turn caused them to part slightly, their noses almost brushing as they breathlessly stared at each other’s flushed faces.

“Look who’s back,” Joker panted, loosening his tight grip on Crow as he began to let go.

“I would have to say the same for you,” Crow said, out of breath as well, as he followed suit.

As they let go of each other, Crow felt that Joker’s grip had a barely noticeable shake to it. He didn’t feel this when they were kissing due to Joker having a firm grip on him and vice versa. But now that they were separating and not holding onto each other for any support, it was clear that Joker was somewhat shaken. He wanted to address the issue, but given the amount of time they’ve spent on the same floor, he thought it was best to leave it in the bunk burner for now. At least until they were not in a place where they could summon The Reaper. “Your choice to enrage yourself was rather peculiar on your part… but it did bring me back to my senses faster nonetheless.”

“I wanted to jog your memory,” Joker said, leaning back against the wall behind him and placing his hands in his pockets. He then gave his rival a mischievous grin. “And I know you like it when I’m angry. Brainwashed or not.”

Crow scoffed a laugh, giving him a suggestive look. “I know it’s not like you to get angry like that, but I have to admit… it’s not a bad look on you.”

Just then, they heard the sound of chains approaching them, which made Crow smirk as he placed his mask back where it belongs. “Seems like we have company.”

He then went over to the corner where Joker threw his gun and picked it up. Looking back at Joker, he had a sly look on his face. “Let’s make it regret challenging us.”

Joker casually used a hand to place his mask back as well, but when he looked at Crow holding the gun again, he felt himself jolt slightly. The sudden feeling made him quickly use the hand that was still inside his pocket to pinch the internal cloth that was inside, trying to calm himself down. He then looked away from Crow before pushing himself off the wall and walking to the edge of the platform, his tone more calm than smug. “By all means.”

It was then that Crow looked at his gun and clutched it tightly, feeling rather frustrated at the sudden recollection of events and knowing very well that they were the cause of Joker’s jumpy behavior. He then put away his gun as he saw Joker reach the platform’s edge, while making a mental note to not use his gun until further notice. They needed to talk things over first.

He then walked to the platform edge as well and stood next to Joker. And not a moment too soon, a familiar red aura approached them.

Crow side glanced at his rival, before looking at the approaching enemy once again. “Let’s get this done quickly.”

  
  



	18. Thanks, Goro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**08/11/20XX - Evening**

“You're staying over at Futaba’s, right?” Akira asked Morgana as the cat walked to Futaba’s side. Apart from Akechi, Akira, Futaba, Morgana, and Sumire, the rest of the Phantom Thieves had already left Shibuya’s Station Square. 

“Yup, we have plans to make homemade sushi,” Morgana answered excitedly.

“I’ll have you know, I have some recipes I’ve been meaning to try out,” Futaba said matter-of-factly. She then turned to Sumire. “You still coming over, Sumire?”

“Definitely!” Sumire beamed. “I just have to go home for a second to pick up my things.”

“Then I’ll see you in a bit,” Futaba smiled, before looking at Akira and Akechi. “And I’ll see you guys tomorrow. Later.”

Futaba and Morgana then descended the Shibuya Subway Station’s main staircase, leaving to go back to Sojiro’s place.

Sumire then turned towards Akira and Akechi with a smile. “I’ll take my leave as well. Until tomorrow.”

With that said, Sumire also descended these same stairs, leaving the two rivals to themselves.

“... Akira,” Akechi said with a serious tone as he looked at him.

Akira, who was still watching his friends leave, turned to him. “Something on your mind?”

Akechi just looked at him, thinking about what the best course of action would be, given their current predicament. He then sighed lightly, before walking over to Akira. Once he was in front of his rival, he gently ran a hand across Akira’s hair before using this same gentleness to lead Akira’s head towards his shoulder. “Let’s go shopping before heading to Mementos tomorrow. It’d be unwise if we overlook this.”

Akira, feeling the light touch on his head and hearing these toned down words, went ahead and slowly wrapped his arms around Akechi’s back. He then let out a quiet sigh. “Yeah.”

Akechi continued to slowly run his fingers through his hair as he hesitantly wrapped an arm around Akira’s back. “That wasn’t the real me. At least not the current me.”

“I know,” Akira said quietly. “I just didn’t expect you to do that again.”

Akechi inwardly sighed. “You’re not the only one who’s surprised.”

They stayed like this for a while in silence, Akira feeling Akechi’s light fingers in his hair and Akechi feeling Akira’s embrace tighten from time to time. And besides these calming gestures, Akechi could have sworn he heard some light footsteps rushing up the stairs while they were just talking. But the steps stopped abruptly for a moment, before starting off again, only this time they sounded as if they were going farther away.

He thought they sounded familiar for some reason, but other than that, he decided to push the occurrence aside and ignore it. And he was certain about Akira hearing these steps as well, but his rival appeared to pay no mind to them.

It was when Akira’s arms loosened to let go that Akechi released him, the distance between them too close for friends yet still respectful towards their personal spaces.

“At what time should we go tomorrow?” Akira asked, his voice a bit less quiet than earlier.

“How about after we wake up and eat breakfast?” Akechi suggested.

Akira looked at him with a confused expression. “Wait, you plan on staying over?”

Akechi shook his head. “I was actually thinking about you coming over to my place instead. There’s a shop near my apartment that opens relatively early, and they sell nullifying equipment at a reasonable price. And we could even get a discount if we get there within the first two hours of them opening. What do you say?”

“I thought you hated waking up early in the morning,” Akira chuckled lightly, a small smile forming on his face.

“I’ll try putting in the extra effort to help with breakfast and not be such a drag in the morning,” Akechi said cockily, a hand to his hip. “Besides, doing so will give us some time to spare to do whatever we want before going to Mementos.”

“Then how could I say no?” Akira agreed with a laugh.

Akechi then nodded. “Then let’s head on over.”

With Akechi leading the way through the Shibuya Station, the two managed to reach a subway platform that Akira didn’t usually board. And given the time of day was shifting from evening to night, the subway station wasn’t as crowded. So when they got on the subway, both of them could freely choose wherever they wanted to sit. Choosing two seats that were between the center of the subway and the exit, they sat down and waited for the subway to part.

“We just need to take this line until the very end,” Akechi explained, crossing his legs. “So there’s no need to switch lines in between.”

Akira leaned back against his seat with his hands clasped in front of him, looking up at the map for the current subway line as the subway doors began to close. “This line has the same number of stops as the line between Shibuya and Yongen-Jaya.”

Akechi laughed at the sudden comparison, before leaning back as well and crossing his arms against his chest. “Well that explains it. No wonder we kept running into each other at the station before school.”

The subway then began to depart. The number of passengers was less than half a dozen, so the ride was rather quiet.

“This is me putting in some extra effort as well,” Akechi mentioned in the middle of the ride, his gaze focused on the passing scenery. “If it weren’t for what happened, I wouldn’t have invited you over so casually.”

“I know that,” Akira smiled softly, looking outside as well. He then used the hand farthest from Akechi to fondly stroke the arm next to him with a few of his fingers. “But still… Thanks, Goro.”

Akechi side-glanced at Akira for a second, before looking at the scenery again with a quiet sigh, moving the crossed arm that Akira was stroking to the space between their seats, his palm facing upward. “The situation affected me too, you know.”

Akira retreated his hand, only to use his other hand to hold the hand Akechi was offering. He then proceeded to rub the back of his palm with his thumb. “I could tell.”

The subway reached its first stop, some passengers getting off and fewer passengers getting on. With the doors closing once again, the subway started to move anew.

“After going to the shop, how about we go out?” Akira suggested.

“I don’t think we’ll have THAT much time on our hands, Akira,” Akechi said nonchalantly.

“We will if we go to the shop right when it opens,” Akira pointed out.

“Getting to the store at least an hour after it opens is a promise I can easily keep,” Akechi said, before smirking at his rival. “But that early? You’d need to drag me out of bed and actually succeed in it.”

“Challenge accepted,” Akira smirked back at him.

“You’re honestly going to try?” Akechi said, raising a brow in amusement. “I’d be impressed if you could actually do it.”

“I have my ways,” Akira continued on. “Especially since I have a worthy prize on the line.”

“You consider going out to be a worthy prize?” Akechi asked smugly.

“Spending more time with you is a worthy prize,” Akira clarified, gently squeezing Akechi’s hand. “And that’s enough for me.”

Akechi just looked at him. Despite having his usual serious expression, he could still feel the heat rise to his cheeks as he blushed a bright shade of pink. “You’re so cheesy, you know that?”

“It adds to the charm,” Akira winked at him.

Akechi rolled his eyes. “Of course it does.”

He then went back to observing the scenery in front of him, his face still flushed.

“It’s still the honest truth though,” Akira added, a gentle smile on his face.

Akechi side-glanced at him once more, before chuckling briefly as he looked forward once again, giving Akira’s hand a light squeeze. “I know it is.”


	19. Let's just take our time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**08/12/20XX - Early Morning**

Akira opened his eyes drowsily as he heard his phone’s alarm go off, confused at the current surroundings. From his line of sight, he noticed that he was inside a simple bedroom: apart from the singular bed, he saw a side table where his phone was going off, and a semi-opened walking closet. He also felt a pair of arms wrapped around his torso and a chest slightly pressed against his back. And the sound of the alarm only made these arms hold him tighter, an annoyed groan coming from behind him. It was then that he recalled that he had decided to stay at Akechi’s apartment this time around. 

Reaching towards the table that was closest to the bed, he grabbed the phone and turned the alarm off before placing it on the table again. He then pulled himself up to sit on the bed, still feeling Akechi’s arms around his waist.

Akira just smiled, running a hand across Akechi’s hair endearingly. “... Goro, wake up.”

“Mnn,” Akechi murmured, shifting lightly as he continued to cling to Akira.

“It’s morning already,” Akira added on. But he only heard silence. “Goro.”

“... No,” Akechi said blankly, giving him a groggy glare.

“Goro,” Akira urged on, but Akechi closed his eyes again.

Akira then got an idea. Making Akechi let go of him after trying to break free from his grasp once or twice, he got out of bed. But before moving on with his plan, he grabbed the extra pillow that Akechi had brought out for him and made him grab onto it instead. Akechi just squeezed at it as he continued to sleep comfortably, which made Akira smile at the sight.

He then left the room and went straight to the kitchen. Seeing the instant-coffee machine, he just frowned. But at least he knew what to look for. After searching some cabinets and the fridge, he managed to find a bag of instant coffee, sugar, creamer, and two mugs. And once everything was set, he began to prepare their morning coffee.

Akira wasn’t a big fan of instant coffee due to him admiring the taste and craft of brewing coffee at Leblanc. But given the different setting and missing items, this would have to do for now. And knowing Akechi’s taste in coffee after his numerous visits to Leblanc, Akira had a good idea on how to prepare his coffee, instant or freshly brewed.

After working with the coffee machine, serving the coffee, and adding any creamer or sugar, the coffee was finally ready. Going back inside the bedroom with two coffee mugs at hand, he saw Akechi in the same position he left him. But now his eyes were slightly opened, his nose sniffing at the current aroma.

Akira then placed Akechi’s mug on the side table and sat on the bed, his mug still in his hand as he used his other hand to run his fingers across Akechi’s hair again. “You awake?”

“Barely,” Akechi answered back in a daze, sitting up slowly and feeling Akira’s hand let go of him. And after moving the pillow he was holding to the side, Akechi grabbed the coffee mug that was on the side table with both hands and took a sip as he leaned against the bed frame. “But this helps somewhat.”

“I still can’t believe you only have instant coffee here,” Akira commented as he took a sip of his own coffee as well. 

“It’s faster,” Akechi said matter-of-factly.

“But freshly made tastes better,” Akira stated.

“And that’s why I go to Leblanc,” Akechi explained, taking another sip.

Akira, after taking another sip, held the mug with both hands on his lap. “Our new apartment may not let us frequent Leblanc as much.”

The two had chosen a new apartment a few days ago, and given that its location was not in Tokyo, a trip to Leblanc every few days was not going to be possible for them. They could at least visit Tokyo when they weren’t extremely occupied, but that would most likely happen on a holiday.

“Then this will have to do until we do visit,” Akechi said, a bit more awake. He then smirked at his rival. “Unless you plan on making it a habit to brew morning coffee for the both of us?”

“I don’t see why not,” Akira said casually. “I like making coffee in the morning. Plus,” Akira took another sip before placing the mug down on the side table, “I already enjoy making you coffee at Leblanc whenever you visit. So this is going to make me enjoy making morning coffee even more.”

Akechi followed suit, placing the mug back to its original location. He then shifted closer to Akira on the bed, placing one hand to the shoulder closest to him as he kissed the back of his neck. “You’re going to spoil me rotten if you do that.”

Akira felt his face and neck grow hot at the sudden touch. Turning to Akechi, he grabbed the hand that was on his shoulder and intertwined their fingers together, before cupping his cheek with his free hand and kissing one of his temples. “Don’t we deserve to be spoiled every once in a while?”

Akechi chuckled, feeling a warm sensation on his cheeks as well. “I suppose.”

After this exchange, they decided to go make breakfast, all the while drinking their remaining coffee and discussing which coffee brews were the best to bring to their new apartment. And not only that: they also decided on a potential coffee-making competition between the two of them in the near future. After Akechi learned the ropes from Akira, of course.

It was after breakfast and while they were washing and drying their plates, mugs, and utensils that Akira recalled what happened the night before.

“Were you able to sleep better?” Akira asked, drying up one of the mugs with a small towel.

Akechi, who was more focused on washing one of the plates, stopped in his movements as he heaved a sigh, recalling what led them to wake up in the middle of the night. “Surprisingly.”

* * *

**_Flashback: 08//12/20XX - Midnight_ **

_Akechi could only see black. And for some reason the cold breeze of the sea, which made him feel unusually nauseous. A blink or so later, the darkness faded, and it revealed a scenario that he wouldn’t want to relive a second time. Right then and there, he had a clear view of the Phantom Thieves and their incomprehensible leader… At least to him, he was incomprehensible at the time. The scene played out: the infamous Black Mask was defeated, the Phantom Thieves tried to bring him back to their side, and then his disturbing cognitive version showed up with backup and a gun._

_The scene continued. He felt himself unconsciously pull the same trigger that shot his cognitive self and raised the wall between the Phantom Thieves and their potential enemies. After all, he felt his cooperative efforts with the Phantom Thieves were over, and there was no need to drag things on even further. Again: at the time._

_The Phantom Thieves began to call out to him. He heard their concerned shouts, while at the same time thinking how foolish they were for staying behind. All because of him, who had committed numerous crimes._

_He then offered to make a final deal, knowing that his revenge needed to be served, one way or another. If he wasn’t the one to deliver it, someone had to._

_And then he heard Joker. Saying that he’d keep his glove. That he’d keep his promise. And that he, the rival who hated him, should keep his promise in return._

_He felt himself shake his head, bewildered at the fact that Joker could continuously hold on to their promise. That there really is someone who would genuinely…_

_He clutched the gun tightly in his hand, mentally scolding himself. ‘No, that’s not right… Back then, I thought that “there may be”, not that “there really is”.’_

_A realization just dawned on him, revealing the current problem: he was not acting like the Black Mask from back then. He was facing the whole situation as the Black Mask from the present day. A version of himself who had a clearer mind of his own brainless sentimentality._

_Brushing the thought off, he pointed his gun at the cognitive version of himself, knowing far too well that a puppet version of himself could never beat the original._

_And so he took the first shot, aware that a second shot would come right after to strike him at some non-lethal part of his body. But it never came._

_Instead, he heard a thud. And, to his shock, his cognitive self was not the person who collapsed because of a fatal gunshot to the head. Instead, it was the one person he wouldn’t have attempted to shoot in the head a second time._

_“No…” Crow couldn’t help but mutter as he dropped his gun in dismay. “This isn’t how your justice ends. I…”_

_He felt his heart race in a panicking state, his eyes filled with an inexplicable shock. And that was enough to make him jolt, his line of vision changing from the altered scene at the boiler room to the darkened room where Akira was embracing him with concerned eyes. With his head against Akira’s chest, Akechi could feel a gentle hand at the back of his head and another hand rubbing his back soothingly._

_“It’s all right,” Akira comforted, his hand not ceasing its movements. “It was just a dream. I’m here.”_

_Despite Akechi not mentioning anything about his dream, Akira’s quiet words and soothing hands were able to show him a sense of understanding. And that was more than enough._

_Akechi went ahead and wrapped his arms around Akira in an embrace, his heartbeat still in a panic. “I’m glad.”_ _He then squeezed him a bit tighter, feeling the need to just hold Akira close. “... I’m glad.”_

* * *

**08/12/20XX - Morning**

“... Though I believe it’s not strange to dream of things that are in the back of one’s mind,” Akechi continued, looking up from the sink to meet Akira’s gaze and giving him the plate to dry. “It’s only natural.”

Akira put the mug away and grabbed the plate. Akechi then continued on with the washing, not wanting to address his nightmare even further.

Akira just dried off the place and put it away, before putting the towel down for a second, approaching Akechi from behind and wrapping his arms around him, his chin on his shoulder. “I know.”

Akechi could only place the plate down on the sink and dry his hands with a slow shake, before placing one of those hands atop of Akira’s head. He couldn’t understand how such a small sentence could mean so much. But for now, knowing the meaning was enough; further analysis could come later. “Let’s finish up here so we can get ready for the day. We did wake up early with a plan in mind, after all.”

Akira found his tone to be more calm than distant, unlike the times he tried avoiding the subject about his conflicting feelings towards him. He was just glad that Akechi was being a bit more open about certain things. Well… at least he was trying.

“That’s true,” Akira said with a gentle squeeze, before letting go and going back to drying the dishes.

“... We’re dealing with a sensitive topic that we’re both very much aware of,” Akechi went on, finally cleaning up the plate he placed down and handing it to Akira. “That being said, we should go about it at our own pace. Approaching the matter head-on will only make us feel overwhelmed.”

Akira nodded as he took the plate, an understanding smile on his face. “Let’s just take our time.”


	20. And that feeling is mutual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**08/12/20XX - Morning**

“This place feels rather nostalgic,” Akechi commented as he looked at the fish swimming in front of them. “It reminds me of that one time a couple years back. After all, we were fairly close at the time.”

After going to the accessory store to buy their equipment, Akira and Akechi had decided to go to the aquarium that was in Shinagawa for old times sake. And lucky for them, the aquarium was not overcrowded with people.

Looking at the fish tank with a smile, Akira nodded. “Yeah.”

He then turned to Akechi. “I never really asked, but why did you invite me out that one time? Apart from having extra tickets.”

Akechi just gave him a smug look. “Who knows? Given that it was the summer time, maybe I assumed the obvious and thought you were bored?”

“I feel that you’re pulling my leg here,” Akira said, fixing the middle strands of his hair absentmindedly.

“You could tell?” Akechi teased, before a calm expression formed on his face. “Jokes aside: You were the first person to come to mind when I got these tickets. We were starting off with our conversations and outings at the time, so I thought it was a good opportunity for us to learn a thing or two about each other. And given the strange connection I felt between us, I couldn’t help but pick up the phone and contact you, of all people.”

“So, in other words,” Akira concluded, “you wanted to hang out with someone you felt drawn to and actually liked.”

“You could put it like that,” Akechi said, placing a hand to his hip. He then moved a free hand to his chin. “Looking back at it now, perhaps my liking to you was starting to drift towards an interesting direction during our outings and I didn’t want to acknowledge it as such?”

“Well you did say you hated me a few months later,” Akira said.

“My point exactly,” Akechi nodded. “Though to be fair—”

“Hey, isn’t that Akechi-kun?”

“Who?”

“You know, that Ace Detective from a while back.”

“Oh him? Didn’t he go missing after one of his cases? Something about some thieves...”

Akechi sighed in annoyance. “Despite going incognito for a year and laying low, I still can’t manage to catch a break. What a hassle.”

“Even if you’re not a detective anymore?” Akira asked.

Akechi had told Akira in one of their outings about him not wanting to use his “Detective Prince” facade like he used to in the past, given everything that happened in Shido’s Palace and Maruki’s reality. So he had decided to lay low and not cause attention to himself for a year, focusing on his university courses and living a normal life. And in order for him to do this properly, he had to stop working as a detective entirely.

And aside from this: he saw no point in hiding his true self from others, unless direly necessary. For Rumi’s case, he knew his approach should have been more pleasant than unapproachable, so he did what he had to do. But addressing a few curious passersby? He saw that as a complete waste of time and air. Even more after this being the third time it’s happened in the last two months or so.

“Once you’ve been in the public eye, you can’t go back to being a complete nobody,” Akechi explained with crossed arms. “At least not immediately.”

“I can see that,” Akira said, before getting an idea and grabbing Akechi’s wrist and dragging him away. “But what if it’s not you they see? ”

Akechi glared at him. “Really? Again?”

“It’s just for a bit,” Akira winked at him. “It won’t be for long, I promise.”

Akechi rolled his eyes. “Fine.”

Reaching the restroom, they went in and approached the restroom’s large mirror and numerous sinks. Akira then proceeded to ruffle Akechi’s hair like he did that one time when they went to that one café a few years back. As he did this, he had a good view of Akechi’s reddening face staring back at him.

“You’re lucky this trick works wonders,” Akechi commented, his gaze never leaving Akira’s.

“It’s only part of my plan,” Akira smiled as he finished with Akechi’s hair. He then removed his glasses and neatly placed them on Akechi instead. “There.”

Akechi sighed with a shake of his head and a hand to his hip, his blush lessening. “Let’s get this over with.”

“Wait,” Akira said, before cupping Akechi’s face with both hands and giving him a peck on the nose. Letting him go and distancing his face from Akechi’s, Akira could see how the glasses began to fog up. He also noticed Akechi’s reddening nose and cheeks had returned. “Perfect.”

“Improvising, aren’t you?” Akechi asked. Akira didn’t need to see through those glasses to know that Akechi was staring daggers at him.

“It gives the disguise a nice touch,” Akira answered back, before extending a hand to him. “Shall we?”

“Lead the way,” Akechi sighed, giving in and grabbing Akira’s hand. “Because, as you can tell, I can’t see.”

Akira nodded. “Of course.”

They then exited the restroom, Akira making sure Akechi didn’t bump into the restroom door on the way out. As they walked towards Akira’s planned destination, they came across the passersby from earlier. It seemed as if they were idly walking around.

As the two rivals passed by them, they could hear them whisper to themselves in confusion, not knowing if who they saw was the Detective Prince from a few years ago.

Akira smiled at this, continuing their leisurely walk across the aquarium. “They took the bait.”

“I heard,” Akechi said. “Seems we were lucky enough to be in their path again.”

“And that’s a good thing,” Akira commented. “Since that means they won’t follow us.”

Akechi smirked. “You seem to have something else up your sleeve.”

Akira chucked. “You’ll see soon enough.”

They kept walking deeper into the aquarium, hand in hand, passing arcs of different types of fish. It was after a few more twists and turns that they managed to reach a tank that had a tall rock mural. And on that mural was an archway-like hole that a few people could go into at a time. Akira took this chance to let go of Akechi’s hand and remove the glasses from his face, placing them back where they belong. He then grabbed Akechi’s hand once more before leading him inside. “This way.”

As they entered, they noticed a round room that had a couple of benches arranged in a circular manner and a panoramic view of the fish tank that they saw before entering the room. Countless fish of a variety of colors were swimming along freely inside the tank.

Sitting down on one of the benches, Akira began to unruffle Akechi’s hair. “I did my research, and it looks like people don’t really go in here during this time of day. So I took a mental note of that.”

“Wise decision on your part,” Akechi said, feeling Akira’s soft fingers comb his hair. “Especially since human superficiality is both a blessing and a curse. Our prior situation was sole proof of that.”

They sat there in silence, Akira calmly fixing Akechi’s hair while Akechi looked at his rival’s relaxed features with, instead of a glare, a pondering glance.

“I didn’t particularly dislike you back then,” Akechi went on, earning a confused blink from Akira. “I managed to come to terms with that after what happened in Shido’s Palace. And even more so after we escaped Maruki’s reality. But even so, I couldn’t help but feel conflicted. You are my rival after all.”

“Just because we’re rivals, doesn’t mean we need to hate each other’s guts,” Akira said, combing Akechi’s hair one last time before gently taking the combed strand into his hand. “I know I considered you a friend back then, even before we were rivals.”

“And here I thought we were just mere confidants,” Akechi admitted with a laugh, before Akira let his hair fall out of his grasp. “And on two occasions, dependable allies.”

“Didn’t that strange connection of ours deem us as more than just confidants and allies?” Akira asked.

Akechi just took Akira’s hand in his, before speaking in a rather casual tone. “Perhaps.”

Akira then took another strand of Akechi’s hair in his free hand, feeling how soft his hair was against his fingertips.

This made Akechi glare at the fingers holding the strand. “Weren’t you done already?”

“Yeah,” Akira admitted, but didn’t let go. “It’s just that your hair is surprisingly soft.”

“And high maintenance.”

“Aren’t you describing yourself in general?” Akira smirked.

This remark made Akechi raise a brow in amusement. “Are we going to have a problem, Akira?”

“Not at all. I wouldn’t want you any other way,” Akira answered. He then let go of the strand of hair, only to grab Akechi’s free hand instead and bring it to his lips for a chaste kiss. “Especially since I like you for you.”

His rival’s face showed both a glare and a pair of flushed cheeks. “You’re... insufferable.”

With an evident smile on his face, Akira lowered their hands to accompany their clasped ones below, his thumb stroking the hand that he held fondly. “I know.”

“And incomprehensible.”

“I know that, too.”

Akechi then sighed. “... And yet, despite our past quarrels and irrefutable differences, I’ve somehow managed to grow fond of you.”

Akira just continued to gaze at him with a tender smile as he squeezed his hands lightly. “And that feeling is mutual.”

Shaking his head with a chuckle, Akechi felt himself smile a tiny bit. “You’re such a whipped, romantic sap.”

“Yeah, but only for you,” Akira said with a grin, which earned an eye roll from his rival.

But Akechi still held that same honest smile on his face, especially as he squeezed Akira’s hands in return.

They then continued to admire the display of swimming fish while having their usual in-depth conversations until it was time for them to leave for their usual meeting.


	21. We're seeing each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**08/15/20XX - Afternoon**

Leblanc was filled with the Phantom Thieves’ chatter, planning out their final day at Mementos for the summer. Some were bummed at the thought of stopping their work as Phantom Thieves for the time being, but the suggestion of making a comeback later in the year sounded like a good idea to everyone.

“... But do we really need to cut the Phantom Thieves’ business a week short?” Ryuji frowned, not wanting their work to end so soon.

“Unfortunately,” Akira answered, taking a seat at one of the coffee bar chairs next to Akechi, who was drinking his afternoon coffee, while still facing the group.

“Akira and I need to start the move before classes start, and stopping our Mementos trips any later than today would be considered poor planning on our part. We need the time,” Akechi explained.

“I honestly didn’t expect you guys to actually move in together,” Ann confessed.

“Well it does make rent easier,” Makoto commented. “Haru and I can attest to that.”

Haru nodded. “Mako-chan and I started rooming together during our first year, and I really can’t complain. Plus, it’s nice to unwind with someone close after a long day.”

Akira could feel a pair of eyes looking at him from one of the booths, and when he turned his head to face them, he saw Sumire looking at him. But she looked away the moment she locked eyes with him, leaving Akira confused.

“I’ve never really considered such a relaxing luxury…” Yusuke pondered. “Akira, why didn't we consider that possibility after I stayed over?”

“Different circumstances, Yusuke,” Akira answered vaguely, which made the corners of Akechi’s lips rise briefly as he drank his coffee.

“I see…” Yusuke frowned, not noticing this small gesture.

“That aside, we need to decide when to make another comeback,” Morgana changed the subject. “I know everyone is going to be busy, but there has to be a good chunk of time for everyone to get together.”

“There’s not really much free time before the year ends but… how ‘bout right before Christmas?” Futaba suggested. “Most schools are done with finals by then. Plus there’s the usual few weeks of freedom before classes start again.”

“That sounds like a good time frame,” Makoto acknowledged.

“Agreed,” Akechi nodded.

“You tagging along too, Akechi?” Ryuji asked in confusion.

“Considering how Akira and I made another deal, I believe it is in my best interest to join,” Akechi explained, before smugly looking at Akira. “Unless you have any opposition on the matter, Leader?”

“You know I don’t,” Akira answered back.

Akechi took a sip of his coffee. “All right then.”

“Then if there’s no issues with meeting up around that time, let’s settle on an actual date,” Morgana said.

After everyone checked their future schedules accordingly, they all decided to meet up on December 23rd at the latest, which was the day before Christmas Eve.

“Hey, since we’re meeting around that time, why don’t we have a Christmas party on the 24th?” Ann beamed.

“I’d be down for that,” Ryuji grinned.

“Likewise,” Yusuke agreed while Haru, Makoto, and Sumire nodded.

“Sounds like fun,” Akira smiled, before looking at Akechi, who was silently glaring at him.

Akechi then went back to his coffee. “I suppose.”

“Then that’s that,” Morgana concluded with a nod. “Joker, you want to head out?”

“Let’s go,” Akira nodded.

The majority of the Phantom Thieves began to leave Leblanc one by one, but only Akechi, Akira, Morgana, Futaba, and Sumire remained for a few minutes longer.

Futaba was just packing up her equipment, while Sumire got up from the booth and approached Akira, her gaze not meeting his. “Akira-senpai, um…”

“Something on your mind, Yoshizawa-san?” Akechi asked knowingly, taking a final sip from his coffee before placing the cup down again. He noticed her stealing glances at Akira earlier during the meeting, and given his current deductions on her behavior, he had an idea what was going on.

She stayed quiet as she tried collecting her thoughts. She then looked at the two rivals. “Is something going on between you two?”

“Why the sudden question?” Akira asked curiously.

“Well that’s…” Sumire started to say hesitantly. But her tone had a hint of panic to it right after. “I’m sorry!”

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop on you guys at the subway station…” She explained to the confused Akira. “It’s just that I realized last minute that we were going to end up with extra sushi anyways, so I came rushing back to ask if either of you were interested.”

Akechi smirked, before standing up to face her with crossed arms. “I thought I heard someone familiar running up the stairs a few days back.” He then looked over to Akira. “Do you want to tell her, or shall I?”

“I’ll do it,” Akira answered, before turning to Sumire again. “We’re seeing each other.”

“As in... you’re dating?” Sumire asked, hoping the answer to that question would be somehow different.

“Yep, we are,” Akira agreed. 

“I see…” Sumire frowned at the confirmation.

“You seem rather surprised,” Akechi asked casually.

“I-I just didn’t expect it…” Sumire confessed sheepishly.

Futaba then grabbed her equipment and stood up from the booth to face the three with an unsurprised look. “Called it.”

“You knew?” Akira asked.

“Please, I could sense the sexual tension from a mile radius. Not to mention that message you sent for Mona a few days back was totally suspicious.”

When Akira reached Akechi’s apartment, he had sent Futaba a message about him staying at a friend’s house. And knowing Morgana, he knew with whom he’d be staying with.

“He doesn’t want surprises,” Akira explained.

“And that’s exactly why I’m getting my own room,” Morgana said, before going inside Akira’s bag.

“How luxurious,” Futaba commented casually. “You two must have needed to look for a larger apartment.”

“And we did,” Akechi said, recalling the countless hours of apartment searching before finding the right one. “It’s fairly decent, but it will make do until we’re done pursuing our undergraduate careers.”

“Good to hear,” Futaba nodded, before heading towards the exit. “We should probably head out. I’m pretty sure the others will start to wonder where we are if we take too long here.”

“R-Right,” Sumire said, following behind Futaba and leaving Leblanc with her.

“Are we really that obvious?” Akechi asked seriously as he started to head towards the exit with Akira, who had his bag at hand. 

“That’s just Futaba being Futaba,” Akira said, opening the door and exiting before holding the door open for Akechi. “She tends to understand what’s going on even if we don’t say anything.”

“Valid point,” Akechi said, before exiting Leblanc through the now opened door. “Especially since we’ve been acting rather “close” as of late.”

During their usual meetings and before they started dating, Akira would either stay behind the café counter while Akechi sat on one of the coffee bar stools, or he would sit at a booth while Akechi leaned against the coffee bar table. Now, Akira would sometimes move from the café counter to sit next to Akechi at the coffee bar or Akechi would sit with Akira at a booth, either next to or facing each other. And if they were to think about how they acted in the Metaverse, they could say without a doubt that they’ve been a bit more protective of each other, in addition to the subtle flirtation here and there.

Akira then closed the door behind them, before walking to Akechi’s side and rubbing his arm affectionately with one of his hands. “They’ll probably catch on at some point.”

They then began to walk side by side towards the subway station at a moderate pace.

“If the time comes and they ask out of the blue,” Akechi started to say, “we can just tell them. Otherwise, I’d rather not mention my personal affairs so casually to others.”

“That’s fine by me,” Akira nodded. “Though I AM glad that I managed to pour my heart to you in front of the whole world.”

“That statement of yours lacks so much logic that it’s jarring to just listen to it,” Akechi rolled his eyes.

“It makes more sense if you realize my whole world is you,” Akira winked.

This made Akechi shake his head with a sigh, his lips forming a small smile. “Seriously, what am I going to do with you, you insufferable fool?”

Akira’s bug then rustled in annoyance. “Hey guys, I’m right here!”


	22. You're my literal wish, Goro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**08/20/20XX - Morning**

It’s moving day for the two rivals. After they finished up with their final Mementos day for the time being, Akechi, Akira, and Morganai bid farewell to the rest of the Phantom Thieves and started with all the moving preparations. And between going to their past university housing assignments and packing up their things, they finally got to the day of the actual move.

It was a day of literally just moving their boxes and unpacking them, since their apartment was already decently furnished. So it was convenient on their end, given how they didn’t need to buy new furniture in a rush.

After hours of moving boxes from the moving truck and up to the 7th floor of their apartment complex, they were almost close to done with moving the boxes into their new apartment. And all the while, Akira’s phone was playing songs from a radio station over at the living room table, both rivals feeling the need of having music in the background as they moved things around.

_I’m a shape shifter, at Poe’s masquerade..._

The radio played on, making Akira quietly hum to the tune as he placed the final box on the small living room table. 

“Hey Akira! Is this the room you guys were talking about?” Morgana asked, looking towards a small room that had a twin-sized bed and a bedside table.

“That’s the one,” Akira said, walking over to Morgana and standing next to him. “Let us know if you want anything extra in there. This is your home, too.”

“Thanks,” Morgana smiled at him, before facing the room again. “I may want to decorate it a bit more. You know, to suit my taste. So I’m just going to internalize what I want in here for a bit. You mind?”

“Not at all.”

As Morgana went inside and sat inside the room to look around, Akira felt himself smile. Turning back to the living room, he then looked to the balcony across the room, seeing a breathtaking view of the blue sky and busy city beneath them. Walking over to the balcony’s clear door and opening it, he stepped onto the balcony and began to lean against the railing as he took in the calm wind and view.

_… Please don’t take off my mask, my disguise._

“Akira, that’s the last box, right?” Akechi called out to his rival, placing down a box on the kitchen table before wiping some sweat off his face.

“Yep,” Akira responded just loud enough for Akechi to hear it.

“Perfect,” Akechi nodded, before he then walked over to the balcony door, his figure leaning against the doorframe. “Then we just need to unpack.”

The music kept playing its smooth rhythm until it faded out. But just as this song ended, another song began to play. And as opposed to the smooth tune from before, there was now an elegant and emotional melody that started off with the sound piano keys.

“Let’s start unpacking after this song,” Akira closed his eyes as he breathed calmly. He had always enjoyed the sound of these introductory notes. But what came after really tugged at his heartstrings.

Akechi pushed himself from the doorframe and went to accompany Akira on the balcony, the two rivals now leaning on the railing, side by side, as they looked at the scene before them. “Fine, just one song.”

As the introduction ended, the lyrics started to play.

_In the night where I dreamt of a dream, I closed my eyelids staring at you..._

Akira couldn’t help but feel the emotion that came from the lyrics that continued to play. They felt sad and nostalgic, as if someone’s heart was calling out to another’s. But they also portrayed a sense of hope and resolve, wanting to move on despite the pain. 

Akechi glanced at his rival, listening in on the lyrics as well. “You seem to be a fan of emotional songs.”

Akira nodded, glancing back to Akechi. “It also takes me back.”

Hearing the first few lines of lyrics, Akechi could deduce more or less what Akira meant. Especially after the emotional chorus began to play and Akira’s eyes began to water.

_Even if we’d never meet again…_

It was then that Akechi grabbed hold of one of Akira’s hands and squeezed it, his vision never leaving their current scenery. “I know to exactly when.”

Akira smiled as he squeezed back, letting a tear fall as he continued to watch the view with him, the silence between them and their connected hands being enough to comfort one another.

_You put a stop to that sweet, sweet fairytale kingdom…_

“After we got back to our true reality and I boarded the train back home,” Akira began, “I remember listening to some radio music. It was after some time on the train that this song played, and I couldn’t help but relate to it.”

“Because it reminded you of everything that happened in that reality,” Akechi began to ponder, “as well as what “we” went through, correct?”

Akira understood what he meant by “we”: he didn’t mean the situation with the Phantom Thieves. He meant the situation between the two of them. “Yeah.”

_When the morning will come and I will begin to remember you will be gone…_

“I found this song playing on the radio a couple of times,” Akechi confessed. “And seemed to connect with it as well.” He then reached out with his free hand and wiped a falling tear from Akira’s face. “But not to the point of tears.”

Akira smiled at him, another tear falling. “That sounds just like you.”

Smiling back at him, Akechi moved that free hand and placed it on top of their intertwined ones. “You’re one to talk.”

Akira chuckled lightly, turning back to their scenery. “It may feel more nostalgic now that I think about it. Back then, I didn’t know if we were ever going to see each other again. But our promise… that made me hold on to a piece of hope that led me to think that maybe, just maybe, we’d fulfill our unfinished business in the future.”

_… I will live on._

“It sounds as if you didn’t really doubt my survival,” Akechi concluded.

“As if I’d think so little of my own rival.”

The remark made Akechi chuckle smugly. “Had you thought otherwise, I would have been a bit offended at how weak you perceived me to be. Even more so if you believed that I wouldn’t have fought to keep our promise.” He began to rub a thumb against Akira’s hand. “I refused to let such circumstances get in the way of our potential duel. I wanted to face you with everything I had, without holding anything back, all the while wanting to achieve a satisfying victory over you.”

Akira smiled. “And you did, so now we’re tied.”

_… And will reach our light that will float eternally in the sky._

Akechi smiled back at him knowingly. “Then we have more of a reason to settle our score, yes?”

Akira nodded fondly as he heard the song’s ending notes play out. “You know it.”

Once the song faded out, another one began to play. And it was then that Akechi let go of Akira’s hand, before wiping a couple more tears from Akira’s cheeks. “Seriously… Today of all days.”

His touch was gentle and not at all rushed. And for a brief moment, Akira could see a pondering look forming on Akechi’s face.

It was seconds later that Akechi retreated his hand. “Wait, hold on.”

Akechi went back inside their apartment, leaving Akira confused. He could see Akechi rummaging through one of the boxes that they brought up. And from that same box, he pulled out another box, but it was nicely wrapped, rectangular, and a lot smaller.

“I was planning on giving you this after we’ve gotten back but…” Akechi said as he walked back to the balcony and faced Akira. Extending the box to him, he gave Akira a rare smile. “Happy birthday, Akira.”

Akira felt his eyes widen, another tear or two falling absentmindedly. His eyes then softened as a grateful smile spread across his face, his hand accepting the gift. “I didn’t expect you to get me anything.”

“Please, I’m not THAT heartless.”

Unwrapping the box and opening it, Akira saw a professional pen that had his initials engraved on it in cursive writing. He was at a loss for words. “This is…”

“I was thinking that you may find this rather useful, especially since you’re starting college in a few weeks.”

Wrapping his arms around Akechi and resting his head at the crook of his neck, Akira gave his rival a tight hug. “I’ll cherish it, Goro. Thank you.”

“Of course,” Akechi, slowly but surely, hugged back, a hand rubbing Akira’s back. “Now stop crying. Seeing you pour your eyes out today like this is… rather unsettling.”

Akira let out a slight chuckle, trying to lighten the mood a bit. “And here I thought it was because you didn’t like to see me cry.”

“Think what you will,” Akechi parted from Akira, their faces still close. He traced a thumb against his cheek again, only this time there wasn’t a tear to wipe away. “Either way, you already know just how far my concern can grow. So need I say more?”

With a light laugh, Akira leaned in and brushed their noses together affectionately. “Of course not. Though it’s nice to hear you say that you care every once in a while.”

Despite rolling his eyes, Akechi couldn’t help but smile.

Just then, Akira’s phone began to ring, the radio music coming to a halt.

“That must be them,” Akechi said as they looked over to their living room table in unison.

Akira then took his chance and kissed Akechi on the cheek, before going over to answer his phone and leaving his rival rather flustered.

“Hey, you guys on your way?”

“Hell yeah we are!” Ryuji said over the phone.

“Get excited!” Ann replied as well. Hearing how close Ann sounded, Akira could tell that they were on speaker.

“We even got cake,” Futaba beamed. “Hehe karaoke is gonna be a huge success.”

“Definitely!” Sumire said excitedly as Haru giggled.

“We should be there by noon,” Makoto smiled. “You’ll both be ready by then, yes?”

“Seems so,” Akira answered back. “All going according to plan so far.”

Yusuke chucked lightly. “Then we shall leave you to it.”

“Yeah!” Ryuji exclaimed. “See ya soon, man.”

After seconds of apparent banter between Ann and Ryuji, who were trying to decide what radio station to listen to, Akira hung up with a chuckle.

Before leaving Tokyo, everyone decided to do a party for Akira after the two rivals moved into their new apartment. And this worked well with everyone, given how they still had an extra week off and wanted to spend time with their leader on his birthday.

“They’re on their way, I presume?” Akechi asked, walking over to Akira. His blush from earlier died down a bit, but there was still a tinge of pink left on his cheeks as he wore his usual expression.

“Yeah,” Akira said. “They should be here by noon.”

“All right,” Akechi placed a hand to his hip. “Then we should get a move on and start unpacking.”

“Right,” Akira nodded, before the two of them began to unpack their boxes and organize their belongings.

* * *

**08/20/20XX - Evening**

“Looks like you had fun,” Akechi observed as they walked the streets close to their apartment, the Phantom Thieves’ van already out of sight. “We could have stayed for a bit longer, you know.”

After the rest of the Phantom Thieves picked Akechi, Akira, and Morgana up, they all went to a karaoke bar that was a few minutes away. And everyone had their fair share of songs, including Akechi. But that wouldn’t have happened hadn’t Akira persuaded him through the unconvincing argument of him being a better singer than his rival. And that was enough to make Akechi turn their duet song into a challenge, while letting the rest of the Phantom Thieves be their judges.

In the end, the votes ended up in a tie. But that didn’t stop them from singing other songs from time to time just to try and change their votes. But the results were always the same no matter how hard they competed, which left Akechi shooting daggers at Akira, who was cockily staring back at him.

After everyone sang to their hearts’ content, it was time for cake, blowing out some candles, and even more chatter. They did have the option to extend their time in the karaoke room, but they decided that it was best for the rest of the Phantom Thieves to not arrive at Tokyo so late at night. And regardless if they spent more time or not, Akira was already enjoying every last second of that party with his friends.

“We had the room rental time figured out beforehand,” Akira explained. “The amount of time was just right for everyone. Besides,” Akira grinned, “don’t we have plans?”

Akechi chuckled. “Indeed we do. Though I wouldn’t have minded.”

The two rivals had planned to go to a nearby Planetarium for Akira’s birthday, and they decided that the best time for them to go was after being dropped off at their apartment once again. But due to unforeseen repairs, the Planetarium was closed on a short notice, leaving the rivals thinking of potential plans to substitute their Planetarium date. It was after a matter of minutes that they both agreed to go stargazing instead. So now, Akechi and Akira were walking to a nearby park to do exactly that.

Approaching the park gates, Morgana, who was inside Akira’s bag, jumped onto the sidewalk. “I’m going to walk around for a bit. Let me know when you two wanna head back.”

“Got it,” Akira agreed, before Morgana went ahead and started walking around leisurely.

Akechi then turned to his rival. “Well then, shall we?”

With a nod, Akira went into the park with Akechi.

Upon entering the park and walking along the park’s main path, the two rivals saw how the area was filled with a multitude of flowers, bushes, and trees. They also noticed several people walking about, which only led them to speculate that their nightly plans would have even less people nearby.

Their steps then stopped at the foot of a hill, which had a large cherry blossom tree at the top.

“It appears we’ve made good timing,” Akechi said, looking up towards the sky and noticing the sun setting on the horizon. “It’s only a matter of time before the stars come out.”

They then proceeded to climb the hill. It wasn’t an exceedingly large one, but it was tall enough to let them overlook a majority of the park.

Once they reached the top, Akira took out a blanket that he had packed before they left and spread it across the grass. The two then placed their things on the opposite side of the blanket before sitting down side by side.

“Just a few more minutes,” Akira smiled as he looked up, noticing the sun disappear from sight.

“You seem excited,” Akechi said, supporting his weight on one of his hands as he looked back at his rival with a smirk.

“It’s not everyday that I get to stargaze with you,” Akira stated matter-of-factly. He then laid down on his back, one hand to the back of his head and another one placed on his stomach. “I consider this a treat.”

Akechi shook his head with a laugh. “As you should. I don’t think this is something we’d be doing once classes start.” Laying down next to Akira, Akechi rested both of his hands on his stomach, their gazes never wavering from each other. “So might as well do this before then.”

“I agree,” Akira smiled fondly at him, before returning his attention to the sky above them. “Though I gotta say, I never expected you to have such a romantic side, Goro.”

Akechi could hear the teasing tone ever so clearly. He was fully expecting such a comment from him, given that he was the one that proposed the idea of going stargazing instead. So all he could do was roll his eyes. “Don’t get used to it. Unlike you, I’m not a hopeless romantic.”

Akira just chuckled. “I’ll take what I can get.”

They then continued to look up at the clear, night sky, when suddenly they saw the stars slowly appear before them, their lights sparkling brightly.

“What a sight...” Akira said in awe.

“I have to admit, it’s rather eye-catching,” Akechi observed. “The lack of clouds helps out a good amount.”

“Agreed.”

Moments passed as the two laid there admiring the stars in silence, their clam breaths giving them a sense of peace as they enjoyed each other’s company. But it was after several minutes that they saw two stars fly by before their eyes.

“Shooting stars,” Akira said happily. “It’s been a while.”

“There is a saying about wishing upon shooting stars. I take it you believe in such a superstition?” Akechi cocked a brow.

“Why not?” Akira responded. “Wishing for something to come true isn’t a bad thing.”

“Not particularly, no,” Akechi agreed calmly. “Though just wishing alone won’t solve anything. You need to work hard to get that wish to come true. So the key factor is yourself, not something residing in outer space. In the end, it seems rather pointless to wish upon stars.”

“Not if you treat them as a sort of motivation.”

“Motivation?” Akechi could feel his interest pique. “Do elaborate.”

“Wishes themselves are just dreams that we have in mind. So maybe wishing upon stars is a way to solidify what we really want in our hearts? If we know what we want and wish for it’s success, doesn’t that add on to the hope of achieving such a dream?”

“You know,” Akechi chuckled, “that’s not a bad way to look at it. It’s intriguing, to say the least.”

They kept on looking at the stars in silence for a few seconds, before Akira spoke up gently. “But lucky for me, I already got my wish. At least one of them.”

“Really?” Akechi asked in a curious tone, his gaze on his rival. “And what’s that?”

“Wanting to fulfill our promise, being able to see you again while hoping that you were well…” Akira smiled, before meeting his gaze. “You’re my literal wish, Goro.”

“I feel that you need to find better wishes, Akira. And less corny ones at that,” Akechi looked back up, the darkness of night obscuring his faint blush.

“Guilty as charged,” Akira laughed, which earned a head shake from his rival.

“Like you said when we first met in June,” Akechi propped himself up on his elbows, his eyes on Akira, “we were meant to cross paths again. So it was only a matter of fate rather than mere wishing.”

Akira then shifted his body to lay on his side, a hand propped up to hold his head leisurely, before leaning in and briefly kissing his rival’s shoulder. “You sure it’s not both?”

Akechi internally sighed as he saw Akira look up from his shoulder with glistening eyes and an endearing smile. “Really… You’re unbelievable.”

“Aren’t I always?” Akira raised a brow jokingly.

It was moments later that Akechi used a hand to draw Akira’s face close to his, their lips connecting for a short second before parting once again. “You’re lucky I don’t dislike you.”

“That much is obvious,” Akira continued to tease.

Akechi couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “Shut up.”

After this exchange, the two continued to admire the starry sky above them, all the while keeping their hands intertwined with one another’s and enjoying that moment to the fullest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to make Akira a Leo in this fic since that sign fits him very well! (In addition to Leos having a good compatibility with Geminis;)) 
> 
> Also: yes, this is an unusually long chapter! But that's mainly because I made it a birthday chapter:) (... Did I use Our Light for this special chapter? Yes. Have I fully recovered from the song itself? No. TT_TT)
> 
> Anyways... Stay tuned for future updates! Things are gonna get rather interesting.


	23. They threatened him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**12/23/20XX - Daytime**

After months of university work and classes, the two rivals finally went over to Tokyo for the promised Phantom Thieves Christmas Party and the continuation of their Mementos missions. And they had decided to stay over at Leblanc, knowing that they’ve already grown accustomed to staying in the same bed for months already.

“The attic is rather cramped for two people to stay in for a few weeks. You two sure you don’t want to stay somewhere larger instead?”

“This is fine,” Akira assured.

“We’ve been living under the same roof for months, boss,” Akechi added on. “This is more than enough.”

“Well alright,” Sojiro agreed, throwing Akira the key to Leblanc for a second time that year, “as long as you don’t make any ruckus during open hours.”

“Got it,” Akira said, before Sojiro walked away to tend to his customers, He then looked at Akechi with a mischievous look. “But afterwards—”

And Akechi didn’t have to look at him to know what he was thinking. “Don’t.”

With a chuckle, Akira patted him on the back and proceeded towards the stairs. “Let’s just head on up. You’re cold, right?”

“Obviously,” Akechi said matter-of-factly, before following suit.

Reaching the attic, Akira placed down his bag on the table near the steps and went to get the attic’s heater, while Akechi placed his suitcase down next to his bag and took a book out of his suitcase.

“Everyone should show up in a few hours,” Morgana popped out of Akira’s bag and descended the table to approach the heater that Akira was now placing on one side of the room.

“Yep,” Akira said as he turned the heater on. He then sat down next to it, enjoying the heat against his cold skin. “But for now, we can enjoy a little bit of heat until they get here.”

“At least it’s better than nothing,” Akechi sat down next to him, feeling the radiating heat warm him up. “I’d rather not freeze to death.”

“Even if we did have nothing,” Akira shifted himself, before laying down and placing his head on Akechi’s lap. “We can always warm each other up instead.”

“Of course you’d say that,” Akechi looked at him unfazed, before opening his book and continuing where he had left off. 

With a smirk, Akira took out his phone, wanting to check the message that he got right before he entered Leblanc. It was Maruki.

_Maruki: It’s been a while, Kurusu-kun. I thought my last favor would be my last… But it appears I may have another request. Will you please hear me out?_

“Guess who messaged me,” Akira said, his eyes not leaving his phone.

Morgana moved over to Akira and peeked his head to see who messaged him. “Maruki?”

Akechi just glanced at his phone, wanting to confirm this with his own eyes. He then shook his head. “What does he want now?”

“Beats me,” Akira shrugged, before answering Maruki back.

_Akira: Sure._

Seconds later, Maruki replied back.

_Maruki: Wonderful! Are you in Tokyo by any chance? I believe the situation is a bit too much to discuss in text, given that it can potentially involve the Metaverse… So I think it’d be best if we talk about this in person._

“He wants to meet up,” Akira said. “And it looks like it’s serious.”

“Not to mention it could involve the Metaverse again…” Morgana contemplated seriously. “You should probably check what’s up.”

“Already on it,” Akira agreed as he continued his exchange with Maruki.

_Akira: Lucky for you, yes._

_Maruki: Perfect. Then could we meet tomorrow afternoon at Leblanc? I promise to not take too much of your time._

_Akira: Of course._

_Maruki: Thank you! I’ll see you then._

“We’re meeting here tomorrow afternoon,” Akira confirmed, looking up to Akechi.

“I guess it can’t be helped,” Akechi commented, flipping a page from his book. “But to be fair, it’s not bad timing.”

“Because of the back-to-back meetups with the others?”

“Precisely,” Akechi nodded. “We can just let the others know about the meeting with Maruki at today’s meeting, and then inform them tomorrow at the party what was discussed.”

“I was thinking the same,” Akira put away his phone.

“It’s best if we keep everyone on their toes,” Morgana nodded. “So I couldn’t agree more.”

Having said that, the three then waited leisurely for the meeting to take place.

* * *

**12/24/20XX - Afternoon**

“Hello again, gentlemen,” Maruki smiled as he saw the two rivals descend from the steps that led to the attic. He was currently sitting down at one of the booths and enjoying a cup of coffee that Sojiro had brewed recently. And it looked like business was slow as usual, given that he was the only customer there.

“It’s been a while,” Akira said, sitting down on the seat across from him, Akechi following suit. “Is Rumi-san doing well?”

“Yes,” Maruki nodded. “We’ve actually patched up a lot of things… and I’m glad.”

Akira smiled, happy to hear things were going well for them after her change of heart. “That’s good to hear.”

“So,” Maruki went on, “how are things here? You’re both on vacation, right?” 

“We’re more on duty,” Morgana said, climbing up the top of one of the booth’s seats and laying down.

“Ah, of course. A Phantom Thief’s job is never done.”

“And given the case, I believe this little catch-up must be kept short,” Akechi intervened, wanting to focus on the matter at hand. “Wasn’t your request to meet rather serious?”

“Of course it is,” Maruki agreed, taking a sip of his coffee and placing it down again. “Kurusu-kun, do you remember my old acquaintance Shibusawa?”

“We met him at that buffet a few years ago, right?”

“Yes. The thing is… I’m worried about him. We managed to meet last month to catch up for old time’s sake… but ever since then, I haven’t been able to get a hold of him.”

“To be frank, that sounds more like a “you” problem,” Akechi commented nonchalantly.

“T-There’s more,” Maruki added on, fixing the positioning of his glasses. “Last month, he asked me if anyone had talked to me recently about my research on cognitive psience. At the time, I managed to recall multiple calls from a scientist who wanted to recruit me to join a research lab funded by the government. He was apparently astounded by the progress I had made in my cognitive psience research and wanted me to share my intel about it. Every time he called, he tried to convince me again and again, trying to lure me in with advantages and benefits that I’d receive… But I turned him down each time.”

Maruki shook his head in dismay. “I’ve atoned for my mistakes after that reality disappeared and I don’t want someone else making the same mistakes I made. Not to mention it was the government that stole my research in the first place. I refuse to help people that stole all my hard work for their own gain. So after ten calls, I ended up blocking that number to avoid any more calls from him.”

“That sounds very hostile of them,” Akira commented.

“And it doesn’t stop there,” Maruki continued on. “After I told Shibusawa about this, he just told me to be careful. When I asked him why, he confided in me something rather odd: that, for some reason, the government had wanted him to meet with me due to their failed attempts of reaching me. And what worries me the most is that he doesn’t even work for them.”

“Seems like they’re resorting to using the people close to you to get what they want…” Akechi considered. “Do you recall him mentioning anything else?”

“He told me that he’d be leaving on a trip with his wife and daughter that day… mainly to lay low and not put his family at risk.”

“They threatened him?” Akira asked in shock.

“It appears so,” Maruki nodded, a pained look on his face. “I’ve been trying to reach him for the past few weeks, just to make sure he was doing well. But it’s as if his phone is turned off.”

“So you suspect that something might have happened to him... and all because you wouldn’t cooperate in some research?” Akechi pondered aloud. A thought then came across his mind. “Maruki-san, do you still have that number that contacted you?”

Maruki rummaged through his pockets, until finding his phone and unlocking it. He then passed the phone over to Akechi after finding his call history. “Here, this is the number.”

Akechi then showed the phone’s screen to Akira. “It’s just as a precaution, but let’s have Futaba trace this number.”

With a nod, Akira took out his phone and began to type in the number to Futaba with what she was asked to do. After hitting send, Futaba answered in a matter of seconds. “She says she’ll send the info our way in a minute.”

Akechi nodded at him in response. “Perfect.”

“You onto something?”

“I have a hunch, and it’s a concerning one at that,” Akechi said to his rival, before facing Maruki once again and giving him back his phone. “I find it strange that there’s such hostility in getting you to join a research team… even more so given your acquaintance is involved. To be honest, it’s rather desperate on their part. And since this could potentially lead to the Metaverse’s misuse once again, it’s a situation that can’t be overlooked.”

Just then, Akira’s phone chimed. “Just got it. Apparently it’s from someone who works over at the Diet Building and was once involved with Shido.”

“I see… So I wasn’t far off. And with the recently elected official as our governor, we may have a better lead on things.”

“You mean Ooe?” Akira asked.

He knew Politician Ooe was one of the many people that the Phantom Thieves had to look for in Shido’s palace, mainly for a letter of recommendation. So hearing about him rising as prime minister during the last elections made him wary, especially since Ooe had connections to Shido and was partially responsible for one of the many mental shutdowns.

“Right,” Akechi nodded. “And last time I checked, he has the same ideologies as Shido. So from the looks of things, we should consider gathering further intel on the matter, specifically on Ooe and his current connections. Especially if we want to figure out their true intentions and Shibusawa-san’s whereabouts.”

“So I take it we’re in good hands, Detective?” Maruki asked.

“That’s ex-Detective,” Akechi corrected him casually, before giving him a stern look. “Besides, I’d hate to see scum like that abuse of their power just like my shit of a father did. So consider this me wanting to assist in a common cause.”

“And if it comes down to it,” Morgana added, “we’ll get the Phantom Thieves involved. Right, Akira?”

“You can count on us,” Akira nodded.

“Then I’m once again very grateful for the help. Please let me know if you require any of my assistance. I promise to help out, whether in the real world or in the Metaverse,” Maruki said, a hint of relief in his voice.

“We’ll keep you posted,” Akira said, before Maruki took one last sip of his coffee.

“That would be great,” Maruki said, standing up. “Well then, I’ll see you around.”

With that said, Maruki thanked Sojiro for the coffee and left Leblanc. And even as he left, Akechi couldn’t help but have a concerned look on his face.

“Something on your mind?” Akira asked as he peered at his rival’s face.

He just shook his head, a hand against his chin. “Between Ooe recently rising to power and Maruki receiving hostile recruitment calls, I believe things may turn for the worse if we don’t act. We need to gather all the intel we can get to make sure we don’t miss anything. The sooner, the better.”

“Akechi’s right,” Morgana nodded. “If the government is that desperate for Maruki’s help on their cognitive psience research, who knows how bad this can get.”

“Then let’s start looking for information now,” Akira suggested. “We can just tell the others what we have so far during the party.”

“Well we WERE planning on telling everyone about what happened during the meeting,” Akechi mentioned as he stood up and sat across from Akira instead. “So might as well include any information that can help us understand the situation better.”

Akira nodded. “Then let's get started.”

“All right,” Akechi said, taking out his phone. “Now that I think about it, this is your first time gathering intel with me, yeah? Gathering information has been part of my line of work for years, so I won’t slow down my pace because you're a newbie. You’d better keep up.”

“In case you didn’t know, Mr. ex-Detective, I’m a fast learner,” Akira said cockily as he took out his phone as well.

“Very well,” Akechi scoffed. He then gave his rival a wink, along with his signature smirk. “Then I’ll be counting on you, Watson-kun.”

  
  



	24. We should enjoy ourselves tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**12/24/20XX - Evening**

Slamming a fist against the booth’s table, Ryuji raged. “The hell?! Didn’t these guys learn ANYTHING from what happened to Shido?”

After explaining what went on during Maruki’s meeting, Morgana and the two rivals went on and discussed what they had found in their last minute research. Turns out their new prime minister had mentioned in multiple press conferences that he was to continue what Shido had started, and that he would carry his torch towards a rich and powerful country. And not only that: Ooe’s connections had been involved with Shido in the past as well, meaning that the scientist’s connection with Shido, and now Ooe, was not a coincidence.

So now there was a potential, heated discussion waiting to happen, despite the festive dishes, drinks, and decorations around them.

“Calm down,” Akira said, knowing that they shouldn’t have rage take over them. He was currently sitting next to him and across from Akechi, who had Futaba at his side.

Ryuji just shook his head. “Dude, this just pisses me off.”

“Are they really trying to follow Shido’s footsteps?” Haru frowned, her hands clasped in front of her as she sat on one of the coffee bar’s stools. “Metaverse and everything?”

“With everything that’s been laid out in front of us, I believe it’s quite possible,” Makoto looked at her roommate, who was sitting right next to her. “Otherwise, they wouldn’t be harassing Dr. Maruki like this.”

“This may be a stretch,” Futaba started to say, “but do any of them have a Palace?”

“We were just about to check that when you guys started getting here,” Akechi said, taking out his phone. “So why don’t we put our minds at ease on the matter? Starting with their head honcho.”

With a unanimous nod, they started the search with Ooe. They had his full name, given the constant mention of his name on the news. Using the name as input, the MetaNav announced its findings.

_Result found._

“Looks like time made him develop his own Palace…” Akechi pondered.

“At least we got that cleared out,” Morgana said, laying down on one of the coffee bar stools. “What about the location?”

“Maybe the Diet Building like last time?” Ann answered with another question, peering at Akechi’s phone as she leaned against the booth behind the ex-Detective and their navigator, Sumire following suit.

_Conditions have not been met._

“Isn’t there anywhere else that politicians frequent?” Yusuke asked as he crossed his legs on his stool and contemplated on the matter.

“What about that buffet over in Shibuya?” Ryuji asked. “Akira and I saw Shido there before.”

_Conditions have not been met._

“And I don’t think it’d be their research center,” Akechi asked.

_Conditions have not been met._

“I stand corrected,” Akechi continued, placing his phone down.

“Maybe we just need more intel?” Sumire sighed.

“That’s most likely the case…” Makoto said pensively. “We won’t get anywhere without investigating further. But for right now, I think this is a good start.”

“I agree,” Morgana nodded. “We’re already meeting up tomorrow regardless, so let’s all pitch in on the search before then. We need to figure out the last two keywords, and soon.”

“Because of Shibusawa-san, right?” Sumire asked, her voice filled with concern.

“Yeah,” Akira affirmed. “Maruki’s worried.”

“You know, if things get too complicated, I can always bug his main office and even hack into the Diet Building’s files,” Futaba said matter-of-factly. “We can get a good chunk of info by doing that.”

Akechi shook his head. “Let’s not resort to bugging unless highly necessary. As for hacking their systems… I believe that’s the only way of getting information that’s not open to the public.”

“Then I’ll get right on it later,” Futaba said. “But for now--”

She took some frosting from the cake that was on the booth’s table with her index finger, turned around, and booped some of it onto Sumire’s nose. “Let’s have fun!”

“H-Hey!” Sumire exclaimed, her cheeks flaming up as she felt the frosting stick to her nose.

Ann laughed. “Futaba’s right, we should enjoy the evening for now and work extra hard on this afterwards.”

“Agreed,” Akira nodded at them, before secretly tapping the side of Akechi’s foot with his own. “We’ll send what we have so far after the party, just so everyone knows what’s been found so far.”

Feeling the sudden tap on his foot, Akechi kept his gaze unfazed at Akira’s silent request, to which he allowed by discreetly hooking this same foot onto Akira’s. He then nodded. “It’s best if we avoid wasting time on repetitive information from the same sources, so I believe that’d be wise.”

“Perfect,” Makoto acknowledged.

Ryuji then rubbed his hands together excitedly. “Then if that’s settled… Let’s party and be merry!”

With a unanimous nod and some cheers, their Christmas party truly began.

* * *

**12/24/20XX - Night**

Beneath the twinkling, festive lights of Kichijoji and the gently falling snow, the gleeful laughter of young children running about and the joyous chatter of adults were heard across the crowd that was frolicking around the area’s largely, lit Christmas tree. And Akechi couldn’t help but sigh, his arms crossed against his chest as he and his rival walked along Kichijoji’s streets, which were filled with different types of kiosks. “Are you sure about taking a break now? We were just at a Christmas party and have barely started looking for information.”

Keeping his hands inside his pockets, he nudged Akechi’s arm with his elbow, a grin on his face. “It’s Christmas Eve, Goro. We should enjoy ourselves tonight. Even for just a tiny bit.”

“I guess,” Akechi answered, his hand wiping off the small amount of snowflakes that had fallen onto his arm, all the while feeling the cold, winter air reaching his gloved hands. “But know that we’re getting right back at it when we get back.”

“That’s the plan,” Akira commented, before stopping in front of a kiosk that sold winter wear. “Wanna check out this stand?”

“I don’t see why not. You getting something?”

Akira just fixed the positioning of his glasses with a free, slightly red hand, which then went back into his pockets. “Haven’t decided yet.”

Walking over to the kiosk, Akira began to look at the stand’s wares. Looking over at the different scarves they had for sale, there was one that caught Akira’s eye in the distance: it was a striped, black and dark-blue scarf. With a knowing smile, he picked it up without a second thought and purchased it. He then went back to where he had left Akechi, his semi-cold hands holding onto a bag with the scarf, only to find his rival walking back from a kiosk himself, a pair of gloves in his hand.

“You were off shopping, too?” Akira asked curiously.

“And who’s fault is that?” Akechi glared at him, before extending the gloves to him. “Just wear these before your hands turn blue. Seriously, I can’t understand how you rather keep your hands cold like this. Do you want to get frostbite?”

Taking the gloves, Akira eyed them curiously. “Are these a gift?”

“Call them whatever you want, Akira, but we’re not going anywhere until you put them on,” Akechi chided, feeling the warmth of his cheeks increase, one of the reasons being because of the cold.

“Fine, fine. Thanks, Goro,” Akira chucked, putting on the gloves. Upon close inspection, the outside was made of leather, while the inside felt extremely soft to the touch. Akira could tell that Akechi hadn’t picked these gloves out at random. He could only smile at the gesture, feeling his hands warm up little by little. “They’re actually warmer than I thought.”

“I’m hoping you’ll use them more often?” Akechi asked, a smirk forming on his face. “Unless you want to freeze to death.” 

“I’ll use them more often, don’t worry,” Akira smiled, which earned an eye roll from Akechi. “And while we’re at it…” With his now gloved hands, Akira grabbed at the scarf that Akechi was currently wearing, and swiftly slid it off his neck to hang it on his shoulder, which earned a couple of complaining remarks from his rival as he tried to take it back. But Akechi didn’t expect Akira to gingerly place a newer scarf around his neck. “Merry Christmas.”

For a moment, Akechi was left speechless, but that quickly went away as he shook his head with a laugh. “Is this why you checked that stand out?”

“It reminded me of you,” Akira commented as he tried fixing the scarf in place.

“I can see why,” Akechi helped him out, trying to adjust the scarf to his liking. “Even the texture’s quite nice.”

“Then I hope you enjoy it,” Akira smiled fondly at him, neatly folding his red-green scarf.

After putting the old scarf into the empty bag, the two then proceeded onwards with their leisurely walk, taking in the lights around them and the jolly atmosphere. And all the while, Akechi felt that his neck was feeling somehow warmer with his new scarf. “It’s been a while since I spent Christmas with someone like this. I’ve usually spent the holidays on my own, so this is surprisingly refreshing.”

“We could have spent Christmas together before you turned yourself in back then,” Akira acknowledged. “Sae would have made arrangements.”

“You ARE aware that this only happened because of an abnormality in our current reality, right?”

“I know, but it would have been nice to spend it with someone close.”

“What, you didn’t have anyone close to spend it with?” Akechi asked, a hint of snarkiness in his voice. “I find that hard to believe.”

“I did spend it with Sojiro and Futaba that year, so technically yes. But I would have enjoyed it just as much if I spent that time with someone even closer than family.”

“Then why didn’t you?” Akechi questioned, rather curious. “Knowing you, you should have had a list of options.”

“Well I DID have someone in mind, but they were too busy either turning themselves in or going incognito.”

Akechi knew who he was talking about right away, so he just chucked. “You’ve always kept me in mind, haven’t you?”

Akira nodded. “Always have, my dear rival. Always have.”

After walking about some more, checking out any other stands in the area, and enjoying their usual chatter, they decided to head back towards Kichijoji’s entrance. Reaching the giant Christmas tree, they stopped in their tracks to admire its dashingly, bright decorations as snowflakes continued to fall down around it.

“That abnormality really dawned on me when you didn’t show up on Christmas Eve to turn yourself in,” Akira contemplated, before looking at Akechi. “Were you somewhere else?”

Akechi was silent for a moment, trying to think of what to answer. The question was easy in itself, but knowing Akira, he knew that he wanted more than just a yes or no answer from him. Especially since Akechi knew about Akira’s caring nature towards him far too well. So he decided to be upfront about it. “ ... You could say I was repaying an old debt elsewhere.”

Akira slightly cocked his head to the side as he looked at his rival. “An old debt?”

“It was long overdue, and I don’t like leaving my debts unpaid. They helped my mother through some tough times… not to mention they helped me even when I didn’t have an appointment on that Christmas Eve. I believe I stayed there for about a month and a half, before I left to repay another one: yours.”

“Mine?” Akira was confused. He didn’t expect Akechi to repay him in any way, not because of the situation with Shido or because anything else. If anything, he would have helped Akechi without wanting anything in return.

Akechi nodded. “The main reason I left after such a short time was because I wanted to help you get your justice, which was obviously not behind bars.”

His rival’s expression went from confused to surprised in a matter or seconds. “You helped me get out of juvie, too?”

“It was all because I wanted to repay you and the Phantom Thieves for keeping the promise to end Shido’s crimes. And to be frank, it was also to repay you in general. Helping to get you free sooner was the least I could do.”

“Goro…” Was the only thing Akira could say, his expression awestricken.

Feeling that the mood was getting far too sappy to his liking, Akechi internally sighed as he crossed his arms. “Can we just move on from this and continue on with our evening?”

“Of course,” Akira said, pulling down on one of his gloves out of habit while looking at it with a soft expression.

“You seem to have taken a liking to them,” Akechi observed with a relaxed gaze.

“Why wouldn’t I? After all, it’s from someone who’s special to me,” Akira smiled, before noticing a snowflake delicately falling on his bangs. 

“Fool, ” Akechi laughed, extending a hand and plucked the snowflake off his messy hair, which made Akira’s cheeks even redder than they already were due to the cold. “This may have been delayed on my end but… Thanks. And Merry Christmas to you too, Akira.”

With a beaming smile that, to Akechi, shined even brighter than the tree Christmas lights themselves, Akira returned his line of sight to the Christmas tree in front of them. Akechi’s gaze was about to follow suit, but his eyes lingered for a second longer.

“Hey,” Akechi started to say casually, making Akira turn towards him once again. Without a second thought, Akechi grabbed Akira’s free hand and pulled him close, his other hand clasped behind his neck. The sudden abruptness of his actions made Akira keep his unperturbed expression, knowing that there was a reason why Akechi was being so touchy in public like this. As far as Akira knew, Akechi never liked such clingy PDA, especially anywhere with a large number of people. So when he felt a hand clasp his own and a hand grasping his neck to pull him into half an embrace, he knew he needed to keep his cool, especially after Akechi came close to his ear to whisper. “Listen to me, Akira. I want you to follow me without question. And whatever you do, don’t look back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That unused rehab scene tho>.<
> 
> Hope everyone enjoyed the twists and turns that happened in this chapter:D


	25. And I’m willing to take that risk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**12/24/20XX - Night**

Pulling at his hand, Akechi steadily led Akira through the crowded streets they were walking through before, keeping his eyes focused on his surroundings. And just as they were half-way down the kiosk-filled street, they made a turn, which led to a crowded alleyway. They then traversed it until the very end before going through another alleyway that was equally as crowded. Making a final turn, they managed to reach one of the main streets, which was close to the Jazz Jin. But before they continued on their way, Akechi pulled Akira to his side as they hid behind a building, cautiously observing the sea of people that was once behind them. Among the crowd, there were two men in black that were searching the area.

Akira couldn’t contain his curiosity and looked as well, his expression perplexed. “What in the—?”

“Come on,” Akechi said, pulling Akira along once again and leading him down a familiar path that led them straight to their go-to jazz club.

Entering the laid-back establishment, the two rivals managed to get a booth near the corner of the room.

“We should be safe here…” Akechi said, taking the seat that overlooked the entrance, “For now.”

Akira sat down next to him and took out his phone, typing up a quick message. “I just texted Maruki. He should be working, so it shouldn’t be a problem for him to pick us up.”

“That’d be best,” Akechi nodded, before he decided to cut to the chase, his tone somewhat grave. “Now, I believe you have questions about what just transpired, no?”

“What do you think?” Akira questioned him, concern written on his face. Akechi had been laying low for almost a year and hardly anyone recognized him at this point. So now Akira was asking himself: Why would they want to pursue Akechi to the point of making his rival flee with him, hand in hand? A potential possibility then dawned on him. “... I want you to tell me what happened after you helped with my release. Because, from what I can tell, laying low wasn’t the only thing you did.”

“You’re perceptive,” Akechi observed, leaning back on the book as he crossed his legs. “I can assure you I haven’t committed any crimes, but I went through an interesting ordeal.”

Akira just leaned back expectantly. “Enlighten me.”

“Gladly, since I see no point in keeping this to myself much longer,” Akechi nodded. “When I came back to aid you, I had made some changes to my appearance: shorter, black hair instead of long and brown; brown contacts instead of my usual reddish-brown eye color... I even decided to go under a different name and use my everyday attitude to highlight the change even more. And all of that was to make sure I remained “missing” to the public eye, to the point of making them forget who I was as a celebrity. Well, at least to an extent.”

He placed a hand to his chin. “Fast-forward to the middle of March: I decided to return to Tokyo once again to see if I could atone for my crimes.”

“Meaning you wanted to turn yourself in,” Akira said, knowing well enough that he didn’t need to say this in the form of a question.

“Yes, but under a different name,” Akechi pointed out. “It would have been more convenient for me to turn myself in that way. People would have connected the mental shutdowns with that name, leaving my actual name untarnished.” He rolled his eyes in distaste. “But those two men in black changed my plans by stopping me as I began to head towards the station’s exit. They asked if they could take me in for some questioning, and I couldn’t afford to refuse. Saying no to such a request would make me suspicious… And I wanted to avoid that at all costs.

“They took me to a secluded room inside the station, asked me some questions about the “missing” Detective Prince, and then went on their merry way. It was after this that I thought: maybe turning myself in while having these good-for-nothing goons running amuck was not the wisest strategy. Especially after they casually commented on how they needed to eliminate anyone who could possibly cause problems for our current governor, or as they had called him: Shido’s successor. Them knowing that Shido’s “errand boy” had vanished could only mean trouble for them, since me potentially being alive and in hiding just means betrayal in their eyes. If I had turned myself in and later on gotten released, there was a high chance of them finding me again after I switched back to my original appearance.”

“So you decided to hide in plain sight,” Akira concluded.

“That was the plan,” Akechi nodded. “I did my best in laying low for the rest of my time in high school and during my first year at college. And lucky for me, the college I’m currently attending is not in Tokyo, as you very well know, so I allowed my hair to grow back while changing my hair color to a darker brown. Coming back to Tokyo in June with my natural hair and eye color was just a mere test to see if anyone would recognize me. At the time, my test was a success… until you managed to find me.” He then sighed in annoyance. “And despite the time that’s passed, it appears those two goons haven’t given up yet… which I find rather inconvenient and unlucky.”

Akira stayed silent, taking in the good chunk of information that Akechi had laid out in front of him. If he had to decide on the story’s takeaway, it’d be the following: Shido’s men are still searching for Akechi, and they won’t stop until Akechi is detained in any shape or form. And that thought alone made Akira’s stomach churn. So he came to a decision. “We’re using the bugs.”

“Akira, we discussed that, unless it’s highly necessary, we’re not bugging his office,” Akechi argued with a piercing gaze.

But Akira’s gaze, which was just as intense, never wavered from Akechi’s. “It’s BECAUSE you’re at risk that this is highly necessary.”

“We can’t afford to make rash decisions in this situation. It’s highly probable that Futaba will be able to get us enough information to be able to identify the final keywords. So going to such extents is less likely.”

“Isn’t it better to have more intel than less, even if we don’t need it in the long run?”

Akechi crossed his arms. “While I do agree with you on that, I believe we shouldn’t take unnecessary risks. You know just as well as I do that this requires one of us to go in there and plant them. And if one of us gets caught in the act, we’re done for. Not only will this be a risk for the person who’s infiltrating, but it will also be a risk for anyone else involved in that scheme. ”

“And I’m willing to take that risk.”

Akechi gritted his teeth in frustration, feeling that his rival had blindly made this choice on a whim. “Akira, think this through.”

The moment Akira heard of Akechi’s story, he had already reached a decision. And he didn’t need to think twice about it: his choice on the matter was purely fueled by his concern towards his rival. So with clenched fists, Akira spoke his mind. “You know how much it bothers me to be on the edge of my seat, not knowing if they’ll find you? Worried that, if we don’t act quickly, you’d get caught?”

“After today, I’ll be disguising myself again,” Akechi tried to reassure, his expression ever so serious. “We shouldn’t have a problem, since we know how far the public’s superficiality can go.”

Akira, however, went on, his voice sounding more concerned by the second. “But what if they catch on? Goro, do you seriously want to take that chance?”

“Knowing how you’d be the first to throw yourself headfirst into that office without a second thought,” Akechi glared knowingly, “I’d rather take it.”

Hearing this, Akira couldn’t help but feel frustrated. “You know that I’ll be able to get the job done without any problems. So why are you acting so stubborn about this?”

“Because, just as you are making this about me, I’m making this about you. If either one of us falls, the other follows suit.”

Akira knew what he meant: if any of them fell, the other would suffer from it. Whether because of the emotional toil or because of the potential physical harm they may receive if they weren’t careful, they knew that allowing such an outcome would lead to unwanted hardships. And Akira refused to allow this, even if it meant they needed to miraculously even their odds. “Not if we figure out a plan that can turn the tables.”

Akechi refused to accept such a suggestion, so he averted his piercing gaze. “Akira—”

But his rival refused to deny the possibility of such a suggestion, so he pressed on. “Twice.” Akira could feel the knotting sensation forming his stomach as he spoke each word. “You’ve been through situations in the past that have involved life and death twice.”

“The second time was a total hoax, Akira,” Akechi corrected as he shot a glance at him. “I was going to live regardless.”

“Then don’t make this the second time,” Akira warned in a pressing voice, placing a hand on Akechi's knee as he felt his heart tighten. “Please.”

Akechi was about to argue, but Akira’s phone began to chime after receiving a message. This just made Akechi glare at his phone, before tapping the hand on his knee with some of his fingers. “It appears Maruki got here at a rather convenient time. We’d best be on our way.”

Akira felt himself hesitate, but knowing that they needed to leave quickly to avoid any unwanted surprises, he let go of his rival’s knee and began to get up from the booth’s seat to let Akechi out. But just as Akechi slid out of his seat and back on his feet, Akira grabbed at his arm and addressed him in a serious tone. Their discussion wasn’t over yet. “Goro.”

Akechi took the hint, looking back at him with knowing eyes that were just as serious as his rival’s. “We’ll continue this discussion when we get back. I don’t think Maruki would appreciate listening to a lovers’ quarrel during his shift.”

After letting go of his rival, the two went over to the owner of the Jazz Jin to ask if they could use the back entrance, to which the owner gladly obliged after hearing their circumstances. It was after walking through the unknown staff corridors that they managed to reach the back entrance. Once they exited the door to reach the jazz club’s back alleyway, Akira went ahead and grabbed at Akechi’s hand, pulling him across the cold, empty alleyway as they felt the cold air going into their lungs. It was apparently a lot colder than when they were walking around moments ago so, while they were speed-walking, they could see the puffs of air form after each breath they took. It was only a matter of time before they reached the nearby street where Maruki was parked.

“Didn’t expect to see you two again on the same day,” Maruki commented, watching his two new passengers get on the back seats of the taxi. “Did something come up?”

“More like “someone”,” Akechi said as he saw Akira close the taxi door. “Looks like you and Shibusawa-san aren’t the only ones with problems now.”

“Sounds like one of you is involved...” Maruki sighed.

“Pretty much,” Akira answered, before grabbing at Akechi’s hands and rubbing them for warmth.

Akechi just gave him a short glance before returning his gaze to Maruki. “Based on how your case is potentially related to mine, we can safely assume that all of this is linked to one common threat: Ooe. Especially since this corrupted man happens to have a Palace.”

“He does?” Maruki asked in shock.

“It appears so,” Akechi continued on. “But unfortunately, we’re looking for intel on him due to us lacking the required information to figure out his last two keywords.”

“I see,” Maruki pondered. “To be honest, I feel that I can’t really help much here… Sorry.”

“It’s fine. This may not be an easy job, but we’ll do our best to find what we need,” Akira reassured, before he replaced his rubbing motion on Akechi’s hands with a grip. “No matter what.”

After shooting another pair of daggers at Akira and locking eyes with him, Akechi returned his attention to Maruki with a disapproving shake of his head. “Just let the Phantom Thieves work on the logistics for now, Maruki-san. We’ll let you know if anything changes on our end.”

“Well all right,” Maruki said in an unsure tone, feeling the atmosphere too tense for his liking. He then continued on with their drive in silence, but it only took a few extra minutes before they were close to the street next to Leblanc. “Looks like we’re close. I know you both might want to rush back inside once we get there, so might as well say it now: I hope you have a Merry Christmas Eve.”

“Same here,” Akira said, while Akechi just gave an unnoticeable nod. “Are you gonna keep doing rounds despite it being Christmas Eve?”

“Ironically enough, my shift is almost over,” Maruki explained. “I’ll be able to make it back home to Rumi before midnight hits.”

“Seems like you two really worked things out for the better,” Akechi said nonchalantly.

“Yes. Right now, we discuss every little thing that we can to make sure everything’s alright. And if we disagree on something, we reach a compromise that we’re both happy with. So in the end, we’re actually very glad with how things turned out.”

“Then I guess that’s good,” Akechi acknowledged, despite his mind wandering to his own thoughts. Between Akira wanting to try whatever it takes to help him, and Maruki expressing his caring nature towards Rumi, he sensed a parallel that was way too peculiar. And it was way too similar to his liking, especially after everything they’ve been through. But regardless, he made a mental note on this, since he and Akira needed to finish off their heated discussion from earlier.

Maruki just went on after a slight nod, his next few words solidifying Akechi’s thoughts even more. “And what matters most to me is that she’s happy and safe. What else could I possibly ask for?”

With that said and a couple of goodbyes, the rivals got off the taxi and rushed into Leblanc, leaving Maruki to drive off into the cold night.

Feeling the enveloping warmth that Leblanc gave them as they walked inside, Akechi couldn’t help but recall the train of thought that he had when he and Akira were riding with Maruki. And it was because of this that Akechi stopped midway across the café, watching Akira take several more steps towards the attic, before stopping him. “Akira.”

Seeing Akira turn towards him, he continued at a steady pace. “Regarding our discussion: let’s see what intel we manage to find tomorrow. If we don’t manage to find enough information… let’s have another plan ready.”

“You don’t mean the bugs, do you?” Akira questioned, feeling that, after their dispute at the Jazz Jin, they wouldn’t be involved.

But to Akira’s surprise, Akechi answered in an understanding tone. “As much as I detest the thought, that’s exactly what I mean. You said it yourself: the more information we have, the better. Besides,” his rival’s tone changed as he smirked, “shouldn’t we try to shift the situation in our favor and keep it that way?”

Akira shot him a confused look as he leaned back on one of the booths’s sides. “You sure want to go through with this?”

With an annoyed sigh, Akechi walked to the coffee bar and leaned back at it’s table, facing Akira with crossed arms. “Despite me having some sort of caring bone in my body that keeps telling me to not get you involved in such a horrendous mess... I’d prefer it if we planned ahead and made sure we’re in the clear to do what we need to accomplish in a timely and cautious manner. Doing so—”

“Would make the risk less,” Akira finished for him, which earned a nod from his rival.

“Precisely. And the undeniable concern of getting caught would be minimized for ALL of us,” Akechi added, feeling the word “concern” rather odd as it rolled off his tongue. He decided to ignore the sensation. “So for right now, let’s devise a potential and flexible plan while we search for information. Depending on everyone’s findings in tomorrow’s meeting, we’ll take our next steps. And what’s more, we’ll be ready.”

Akira nodded, before he smirked, a glint evident in his eyes. “Though to be completely honest, I WAS thinking of a plan. It just needs some polishing and adjustments, but I’m positive it’ll work after we iron out all the details.”

“As I’d expect from our leader,” Akechi laughed smugly. “You did manage to trick ME after all, so I have no doubt of its success.”

Akira raised an amused brow. “That sounds like high praise coming from you.”

Akechi just chuckled. “You should see it as such. After all, outwitting me is not an easy task. But then again, you ARE my equal and rival, so expecting any less from you would be considered foolish on my part.”

“Well I DO see and hear a lot of things,” Akira winked.

“Don’t remind me,” Akechi groaned, detesting the recollection of his well-known “pancake” slip-up. “So about this plan of yours: what do you have so far?”

“As of right now, we need a detailed map of the Diet Building, Sae, and some shopping time with Ann,” Akira said at a leisurely pace, not minding Akechi’s shifting expression.

Everything sounded okay to Akechi until Akira mentioned “Ann” and “shopping” in the same sentence. And just by hearing this part of the plan, Akechi knew they were in for one hell of a ride. So as a result of this realization, he pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. “... Do I dare ask WHY shopping is involved?”

Akira just casually shoved his hands into his pockets. “It involves heels.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So apparently chapters might become longer? Idk it just sort of happened>.<
> 
> I tried cutting this chapter into two but doing that made one of the chapters too short to my liking aaaand welp here we are! Look forward to potentially longer chapters:) I think next chapter is gonna be a good oneXD
> 
>  **EDIT (09/12/2020):** I added an extra sentence to Akechi's story (it gives a bit more reason as to why he didn't turn himself in at the time) :)


	26. He’s rather protective of me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**12/26/20XX - Afternoon**

“... Enjoying yourself?” Akechi asked coolly, hearing a catchy hum coming from Futaba’s laptop as he approached the attic couch and sat down, his hands on his currently black hair as he tied it into a small ponytail.

“Obviously,” he heard Akira say in his cocky tone, the red dot on Futaba’s screen moving right next to Sae’s at a leisurely pace.

After what happened over at Kichijoji during Christmas Eve, Akechi and Akira continued to search for information, all the while formulating their flexible plan, which considered every possible scenario they could face during their infiltration. The main office was locked? They had a plan for that. Ooe had business that did not allow him to leave his office? They had that covered, too. Their initial escape route was compromised? They had another one, as well as many others.

So on Christmas Day, everyone got together at Leblanc to discuss their findings, as well as the events that transpired on Christmas Eve and the formulated plan. 

* * *

**_FLASHBACK: 12/25/20XX - Afternoon_ **

_“So nothing new, huh?” Ann asked dejectedly._

_“It appears so,” Makoto sighed._

_“C’mon, there has to be another way to get some important info!” Ryuji said in frustration as he leaned back against his chair._

_“You said you couldn’t find anything, Futaba?” Yusuke asked as he turned to Futaba, who was clicking away at her laptop._

_“Even as we speak I can’t seem to find anything… It’s as if all that information is locked away somewhere even I can’t reach,” Futaba answered, her eyes glued to her screen._

_“That’s not a good sign,” Haru shook her head in worry._

_“No kidding…” Sumire added on._

_With that said, Akira looked to his side, seeing Akechi looking at his coffee cup in a pensive manner. But Akechi was quick to notice his rival looking at him, so he looked back at him with a knowing glance. Akira acknowledged this with a nod. “Then it looks like we need to take drastic measures.”_

_“You mean bugging his office, correct?” Makoto asked seriously. “Given that we just started looking for information, don’t you think this is a bit rushed? We might find something if we keep searching.”_

_“How fast we find the information is the current problem,” Akechi clarified._

_“And why’s that?” Yusuke asked._

_“Allow me to elaborate: yesterday night, Akira and I came across some men in black over at Kichijoji. And to our misfortune, they were the exact same men from the government that were trying to catch the Detective Prince since last year.”_

_Crossing his legs and leaning back on his seat, he continued. “As you all very well know, I used to work close to Shido in the past. The mere action of keeping my whereabouts unknown to them for the past year had led them to believe that I’m a traitor that can’t be trusted. So in other words, I’m a wanted man now, and it appears that Ooe will try everything in his power to find me and keep my mouth shut.”_

_“Dude, that’s effed up,” Ryuji commented in shock._

_“Him becoming a potential target will only make our job more difficult… He’s one of our strongest fighters, after all.” Morgana said._

_“He’s also our friend,” Akira added to make a point. “And I’m sure no one wants a repeat from Shido’s Palace.”_

_“That much is true,” Ann frowned._

_“I agree,” Haru nodded. “He may have done some unforgivable things in the past, but he didn’t deserve what happened to him back there.”_

_“I’m a bit lost…” Sumire sighed, not knowing what everyone is talking about._

_Futaba, who was sitting right next to her, stopped typing for a brief moment to pat her shoulder. “We’ll explain later. Right now, we need an infiltration plan.”_

_Akira looked over to Futaba as he gestured to Akechi. “We already thought one up. First, we need your hacking skills and equipment.”_

_“All right, just tell me what you need and I’ll get right on it,” Futaba nodded with a grin._

_“Other than the bugs, we need something small and discreet that lets us communicate during the infiltration,” Akira said. “Like what you used over at Sae’s Palace.”_

_“I can also throw in a GPS tracking device on both your phone and Sae’s,” Futaba commented. “Infiltration will go smoother that way.”_

_Akira nodded. “Perfect.”_

_“Next,” Akechi continued on, looking at Makoto, “we need to know if Sae-san is willing to cooperate with us on this mission.”_

_“I think sis wouldn’t refuse to help out. I know she’d lend a hand if needed,” Makoto said, taking out her phone. “Any specifics I should let her know beforehand?”_

_“Ask what her schedule is like for the upcoming week,” Akechi said. “We need to know if she can pay a visit to the Diet Building.”_

_“Now that you mention it,” Makoto pondered, “I think she mentioned something about going there tomorrow… It was about a defense case for a client.”_

_“Can you ask if Akira can go with her? In disguise, of course.”_

_“I’ll do that right now,” Makoto nodded, before typing away._

_“And speaking of disguises,” Akira said, looking over at Ann with a grin. “Ann, you mind going shopping with me later?”_

_“I don’t mind!” Ann beamed. “Are you looking for something specific?”_

_“That, and because I need a girl’s second opinion on walkable heels.”_

_“The hell are you planning to do, man?” Ryuji asked with wide eyes, knowing what Akira was implying but not wanting to accept it._

_“Ooh I see where you're going with this,” Ann giggled, before giving him a wink. “Count on me to make you fabulous.”_

_“Since that’s settled,” Akechi managed to say as he internally sighed, “I believe the rest of the plan is as follows…”_

* * *

**12/26/20XX - Afternoon**

“Just don’t enjoy yourself too much,” Morgana told Akira. “This is an important mission we can’t afford to fail, Joker.”

“Who you think you’re talking to?” Akira laughed, flipping his long, curly locks as he strutted with his comfortable heels, which matched his feminine, black coat. He wanted to go all out with his outfit, so in addition to the coat and heels, he went ahead and bought a blue blouse and pencil skirt, as well as some pantyhose and beauty products. Ann even lent him a black briefcase to store anything he was going to use. As for gloves and scarves, he used the new gloves Akechi gifted him the night before, and used Akechi’s old, plaid scarf, which Akechi highly encouraged him to do so. And because he was using his boyfriend’s scarf and gifted gloves, Akira’s cheeks gave off a natural blush that was enough to heighten the blush of the applied cosmetics at his cheeks.

“We know you’ll get the job done,” Futaba said as she sat on the floor and listened to the voice that was coming from the laptop in front of her. “Just be careful.”

“Will do, Oracle.”

Approaching the building’s main entrance, Sae stopped briefly and looked at Akira. “You ready?”

With a nod from Akira, they went in. And just as they entered, they saw a man in black walking around the main waiting area. It seemed as if he was waiting for someone.

Taking notice of Sae and Akira, he approached them. “Can I help you—? Well if it isn’t Niijima-san! How’ve you been?”

“Seems like he knows Makoto’s sister,” Futaba acknowledged in Akira’s ear.

“I’m doing well,” Sae answered back. “I’m actually here on official business. My client’s case involves me asking Prime Minister Ooe a couple of questions to aid their defense. He’s currently expecting me.”

“Understood,” he said, before turning to Akira. “And she is…?”

“She’s just my apprentice. She started working with us not too long ago, so as her senior I want to offer her some visual experience before she starts working on her own.”

The man gave a courteous smile. “Then pleasure to meet you, um...?”

“Watson,” Akira said, his voice a tiny bit higher than usual. It was a small difference in tonality, but it was enough to make him sound less masculine.

“Watson-san? It has a nice ring to it,” the man said, his eyes locked onto his. For some reason, Akira saw more than friendliness in those eyes. “Say, if you’re not busy after this, maybe we can... get to know each other better?”

At the sound of an older man trying to hit on Akira, Futaba made an audible sound of disgust, Morgana listened in shock, and Akechi just drummed his fingers against his crossed arms as he glared at the screen. But they weren’t too concerned, since they knew Akira had this covered.

With a free hand at his waist, Watson-kun addressed the interested man. “I’m sorry to disappoint, but I believe my boyfriend would abhor such a betrayal if I were to “hook up” with another man. He’s rather protective of me.” He fluttered his eyes as his tone became more suggestive. “... not to mention possessive.”

“I-I see,” the man stuttered, before clearing his throat. “W-Well then, Niijima-san, Watson-san, follow me.”

Having said that, Akira and Sae began to follow the man.

“Possessive?” Akira could hear the suggestiveness in his rival’s voice. “Shouldn’t you speak for yourself, Joker?”

Akira just smirked loud enough for the team members back at Leblanc to hear.

“But let’s real talk: you using Watson makes a whole lot of sense if you think about it,” Futaba commented as she typed up a couple of things. “I’m sure you both heard of Holmes and Watson, right?”

“It’s actually a common read that Akira and I both share from way back when,” Akechi answered, crossing his legs. “I was surprised that he actually read books about them. Finding such commonalities is rather nice when talking to someone who has a similar intellect.”

“Impressive,” Morgana mused. “I never would have thought he’d read detective stories.”

“You’d be surprised at the number of books we’ve read on our own accord,” Akechi confessed. “Some of them are also about murder mysteries.”

Morgana nodded. “I knew about those, and about some dramas, too.”

“Well,” Futaba began in a playful tone. “Based on his browsing history, he’s also really into romantic comedies.”

Akira just blinked confusedly, keeping himself in character, before realizing in a split second. ‘Ah, right. Before we stole her heart.’

“That sounds so much like him,” Akechi went on. “It fits him like a glove.”

After Akira, Sae, and the man kept walking for a few more minutes, they managed to reach the meeting room. With that cue, Akira pulled at one of Sae’s sleeves for a moment, his eyes filled with innocence. “Sae-san, you’ve been here before right?”

“Yes, I have.”

“Where’s the nearest restroom?”

Sae used a hand to point to another hallway that was close by. “Right through there. Just make a turn to the left at the next hallway and it should be there.”

“Thank you,” Akira started to walk off. “Can you start without me? I’ll catch up.”

“All right, but hurry back,” Sae said, before turning to the confused man. “She learns fast, so I wouldn’t worry.”

“Gotta say, smart girl.” The man nodded before opening the door. “I’ll wait for her out here, just to make sure she doesn’t get lost.”

“That’d be appreciated,” Sae nodded, before closing the door behind her and leaving the man outside.

Meanwhile, Akira was strutting towards the ladies restroom, his humming continuing on. The hallways were surprisingly less crowded, but Akira thought that this was mainly because of the large amount of work the employees may have at that time.

Reaching the restroom, Akira went in, taking care it wasn’t the men’s restroom instead. As he approached the mirror, he began to adjust his locks.

“The room is just a few doors down,” Futaba announced to Akira.

“Wonderful,” Akira smiled, seeing that his locks were perfectly in place, before leaving the restroom and heading towards their destination.

“Never really said this, but you’re really rocking that black hair,” Futaba casually told Akechi.

Akechi let out a sigh. “It’s a necessity.”

Opening the office door and closing it behind him, Akira smirked. “I’m gonna have to agree with Oracle on this one, Crow. It really suits you.” He then began walking towards the main desk. “VERY much.”

Akechi sniggered. “Even more than my original hair color?”

“Please,” Akira started to say as he stood behind the desk and searched his bag. In seconds, a bug was held between two of his fingers, “I’d pin you to the wall regardless of your hair color.”

“Oh yeah? I’d like to see you try.”

“Guys,” Morgana warned with a groan.

“Let me guess: they’re usually like this,” Futaba said matter-of-factly.

“Pretty much.”

“Look on the bright side,” Akira tapped the bug underneath the desk. “At least the first bug has been planted.” He then walked over to a table that was near a sofa, grabbed another bug, and planted it under one of its corners. “And now the second one.”

“And the third one?” Akechi asked as Akira walked over to a medium-sized storage locker.

He then planted the final bug behind it with a smirk. “Just now.”

“Good, now focus on getting the hell out of there.”

“Roger.”

Just then, Akira could hear voices approaching the door, and he could very well recognize both of them. ‘Damn it.’

As quietly as he could and making sure his heels didn’t betray him, Akira quickly rushed to a slightly ajar room and closed the door behind him. It was then that he heard another door open. And the only voice that remained was the one that would cause problems if he didn’t act fast.

Taking out his phone, Akira began to type frantically. After sending the message, there was an audible chime coming from his ear.

With an arched brow, Akechi took out his phone and read the message he received a few seconds ago.

_Akira: Trapped in the supply closet. Ooe is right outside. Send help._

“Seriously… Are you for real right now?” Akechi sighed. “I’ll contact her right away.”

_Akira: Thank you ly <3 _

“You good, Crow?” Futaba asked, noticing Akechi’s reddening cheeks as he switched to Sae’s messages and typed away his message to her.

“It’s fine,” Akechi replied, sending the message and putting away his phone. He then fixed his gaze on the laptop’s screen, his expression a bit more composed. “Joker, I told her to handle the situation accordingly, so when Oracle gives the signal, keep your phone handy and start your escape.”

_Akira: Got it._

Minutes passed, and the three over at Leblanc saw Sae’s red dot move across the screen that had the Diet Building’s internal map. It stopped right in front of Ooe’s office. And seconds later, a knock was heard.

“Sir,” Akira heard the same man from earlier say.

Hearing the door open, Akira silently approached the door to get a better hearing of things.

“What is it?” Ooe answered back.

“Pardon the sudden intrusion, Ooe-san,” Sae addressed, “but I have a couple of questions that I forgot to ask you. Mind if you come back to answer them? I promise they’ll be quick.”

“I don’t see why not,” Ooe said, before stepping out of his office.

With that said, the door closed and the voices became distant after each step they took.

“She’s making the turn right now…” Futaba said, keeping her eyes on the moving, red dot. “And… Now!”

Akira opened the door and began to speed-walk towards the office’s exit. Opening and closing the door with a free hand, he began to walk back to where the meeting room was.

After making the turn to reach the meeting room, he saw the man from before right next to the door, along with Sae and Ooe, who were starting to enter the room once again.

“Sae-san!” Akira exclaimed as he walked quickly towards them.

“And here I thought you’ve gotten lost,” the man said.

“What is it?” Sae asked, stepping out of the room and ignoring the asking man.

Akira just bowed. “I’m so sorry! After I went to the restroom, I received a very important phone call from a family member who isn’t doing so well… I’m afraid I need to head back early.”

“Niijima-san?” Ooe asked, coming out of the room. “And who’s this?”

“My apprentice,” Sae clarified. “I brought her here since she needs the experience, but it seems that things have gotten complicated on her end.”

“I’m truly sorry about this, Sae-san…” Akira lifted his head, clutching his phone to his chest as he kept a sorrowful gaze. “I feel that I’ve wasted your time.”

“Nonsense,” Sae smiled. “Do what you need to do and we’ll schedule for another time.”

“Thank you,” Akira smiled sweetly at Sae, before he noticed Ooe looking at him.

“Rest assured, young lady, if you need anything from me, don’t hesitate to call.” He dipped his hand into his pocket and fished out a business card. He extended his card with a smile and a wink. “Even if it’s just for “casual” company.”

“Um sir—?” The other man began to say, knowing far too well about his implications and how they wouldn’t be so fruitful.

But Akira beat him to it as he shook his head and rejected the card. “It’s all right, Ooe-san. My boyfriend already gives me more than just “casual” company.” He bowed once again. “Well then, I must be off. I know my way back.” 

He then began to hurriedly walk away, leaving Ooe dumbfounded, the other man sighing, and Sae shaking her head at them.

“Good thing you left when you did,” Futaba said, before turning to see Akechi intensely glaring at the screen. “I was starting to feel murderous intent in the air.”

“Murder is too good for that man,” Akechi’s voice became sinister. “I’d rather make him feel maximum pain. It’ll last longer.”

“I’d save that for the Metaverse,” Morgana suggested worriedly.

Akechi just glanced at Morgana. “I was planning on doing that.”

“And we’ll all make him pay for everything he’s done,” Akira managed to add quietly as he exited the Diet Building’s front door and walked towards the taxi car that was parked nearby. “He’ll atone.”

* * *

**12/26/20XX - Evening**

After Akira successfully exited the Diet Building, Futaba had decided to head back home, leaving Akechi and Morgana in charge of waiting for Akira’s return. So Akechi decided to grab the book he was reading before, trying to continue from where he left off as he waited on the attic sofa with Morgana. But the tinge of worry in the back of his mind made him stay on the same page longer than usual. He disliked the feeling.

“You worried?” Morgana said as he laid down on his side of the sofa.

Akechi shook his head. “He’s taken longer than expected.”

“It’s already evening, so I’m guessing everyone is heading home right now. There could be a traffic jam for all we know.” Morgana’s ears then perked up at the sound of chimes. “But as of now, you can put your worries at ease.”

Moments later, they heard the click-clack sound of heels coming up the steps, the sight of raven-haired locks emerging after every step Watson-kun took.

“Look who’s here,” Morgana sat up with a knowing grin as he watched Akira kick away his heels to the side.

Akechi put down his book and got up from the sofa, approaching Akira at a hurried pace. “You’re finally back.”

“Honey, I’m home~” Akira grinned, grabbing at his bag to place it on the nearby table. But the feeling of Akechi’s hands cupping his face and kissing his lips made him drop it on the floor instead, his now free hands grabbing at Akechi’s wrists to hold them in place as their lips parted and connected again and again.

Continuously pecking at each other’s lips, they could feel a sense of endearment that, between their necessary, calm composure and their toned-down yet obvious worry, felt highly necessary at that moment of triumph. 

The Akechi from almost six months ago wouldn’t have allowed himself to indulge in such advances towards his rival. And the Akira from almost six months ago would have let himself show deeper affection towards his rival, had Akechi not been the type to potentially punch him in the face and take it as a joke if he made such advances. But things were different now, especially after the last four months. A sense of clarity and openness was there, to the point of always worrying each other till no end, always managing to lose track of time when they’re together, and always losing track of how much affection they gave each other.

And this feeling was even more evident when they both shared one last kiss, their lips wanting to linger in that opportune moment, before parting and placing their foreheads together, their eyelashes fluttering as they stared back at each other.

“... You’re back awfully late,” Akechi managed to smile, his thumbs stroking Akira’s cheeks.

With a laugh, Akira kissed the palm of one of his hands. “Sorry, traffic.”

Morgana then jumped down from the sofa and approached the window near the bed. “All right, lovebirds, I’m going to head out and let Futaba know you’re okay.”

“I can just message her—” Akira began to say as he peeked at Morgana, but he shook his head.

“Just let me do this, alright?” Morgana jumped on the window sill and looked back at them, the two rivals now looking at him. “I’m pretty sure you two need some space.”

Jumping down the window and moving agilely onto each landable surface, Morgana reached the streets and began to walk towards Sojiro and Futaba’s place.

“He certainly knows how to read a room,” Akechi commented, looking back at his rival. Feeling Akira’s hands loosen, Akechi went ahead and began to take off the scarf at Akira’s neck, folding neatly once it was in his hands. “I’d be surprised if he didn’t, given that previous exchange of ours.”

Akira just took off his coat and placed it on the table where his bag would have been. His wig followed suit, revealing Akira’s short, messy locks once again. “You look good with black hair, it’s an honest fact. Even that ponytail adds on to your charm.”

“Does it now?” Akechi had a cockish grin on his face, knowing far too well that his rival enjoys it whenever he wears such a ponytail. “Then I guess you’re fortunate enough to be able to see this look more often, since this will be my new disguise until all of this is settled.” He gestured at Akira up and down with a free hand. “And while we’re on the topic: shouldn’t you change out of the rest of your getup?”

“You don’t like me in a skirt?” Akira placed both hands on his hips as he swayed left to right to show off his outfit. “To be honest, I think Ann did a pretty good job. It’s a bit chilly on the legs since it’s winter, but it’s surprisingly comfortable in general.”

“I can imagine,” Akechi’s sarcastic tone kicked in, a hand to his hip. “Though in my personal opinion, I’d rather see you in slacks.” His piercing glare form earlier came back. “I’d rather not have perverts eye you like wild animals in heat.”

“Then you’re lucky I prefer slacks. They’re easier to move around in,” Akira admitted, before winking. “Not to mention they’re perfect for cuddling with my protective boyfriend.”

His rival scoffed a laugh, turning to place the scarf on the sofa. “And if I recall correctly, you said something about me being “possessive”. Shall we put that to the test through a “test of strength”?”

Akira laughed right back at him, thinking about their previous conversation. “You seriously think you can pin me down for longer?”

“I don’t “think” I can, I KNOW. Between the two of us, I’m the strongest.”

Akechi hadn’t turned back to know that, moments later, Akira had snaked two arms around his waist from behind, his lips kissing his neck before nibbling at the kissed skin. He could get a good view of his rival’s blush creeping at his face. “Wanna bet?”

That was enough for Akechi to turn around, wrap an arm around his waist and hold Akira’s neck, biting it even harder and making the hairs on the back of Akira’s reddening neck stand at the touch. And hearing the sound of a muffled moan at Akira’s throat just made Akechi snigger in response. “Challenge accepted.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With the power of crossdressing, no paths are bound— Oops wrong fandomXD
> 
> Anyways... Hope people enjoyed the latest chapter! Stay tuned for more:)


	27. ... So you think I'm cute?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**12/27/20XX - Afternoon**

“... Furthermore—”

Ryuji groaned. “Do we really need to listen into EVERY phone call he makes?”

“He might give us something to work with,” Makoto explained, “so we shouldn’t take our chances.”

“Yeah, I guess you got a point there,” Ryuji sighed.

The Phantom Thieves had been listening into numerous phone calls and meetings since that morning, hoping that Ooe would reveal something to them. But so far, they haven’t had any luck.

“By the way, man,” Ryuji continued on, looking at Akira in confusion as he pointed at a slightly visible red hue on his neck. “What the hell happened to your neck? Did you get bitten by something?”

Akira just shook his head. “Don’t worry about it.” He then locked eyes with Akechi, who had a mischievous look that spoke volumes between them.

“Guys, shh, we need to focus,” Futaba urged.

Regardless of this banter, Ooe went on with his conversation without a care in the world, his tone composed, “... And rest assured: you can always consider Tokyo as your royal estate while I’m in power. So don’t hesitate to ask anything of me.”

_Candidate found._

“Bingo,” Akira declared with a nod, looking at his responsive phone.

“Huh, would ya look at that,” Ryuji responded in a curious tone, his wide eyes.

“So the keywords are…” Haru began to say, sounding a bit down.

“”Tokyo” and “royal estate”?” Yusuke finished for her in a pondering tone.

“Sounds fitting, considering that he’s acting as if the whole country is in the palm of his hand,” Akechi commented, before he showed an irritated expression. “It’s abhorrent how similar he wants to be like my good-for-nothing father.”

“Since we have everything we need, let’s start heading over now,” Morgana said with determination. “We should be able to access the palace anywhere, since the keyword is “Tokyo”. So leaving from Leblanc won’t be a problem.”

“Hold on,” Akira began to say, “why don’t we access the palace near the Diet Building instead?”

“The Diet Building?” Ann asked.

Akechi caught on to what his rival was saying. “Not only does that make sense, it’s rather cunning. Going into the palace itself is equivalent to going into the Diet Building, so leaving from Leblanc can result in us having to travel to the Palace and deal with the shadows along the way.” He shook his head. “We shouldn’t waste any unnecessary energy.”

“Then let’s head on over,” Sumire said.

WIth a unanimous nod, the Phantom Thieves headed over to the Diet Building.

* * *

_Beginning navigation…_

With the activation of the MetaNav, the Diet Building slowly transformed into a luxurious mansion, its surroundings becoming just as extravagant. Neatly trimmed grass, hedges, and trees surrounded a tiled area that, at the center, stood a golden fountain that several cognitive beings were mindlessly admiring on the spot. And this tiled area led to two other places in the estate: a hedge-filled labyrinth and the mansion itself. The rest of their surroundings were filled with infinite acres of trees.

“It was a good call for us to come here first,” Crow acknowledged after looking around the area, his gaze meeting Joker’s right after. “We would have ended up lost in a forest full of unwanted surprises had we done otherwise.”

“No kidding… How big IS this place?” Skull asked, amazed at the infinite size of the Palace.

“Just as big as the location,” Queen answered. “So had we started the infiltration at Leblanc…”

“... we literally would have needed around the same amount of time to get here,” Mona continued. “And that’s ignoring the number of shadows we would have fought.”

“That… would have been bad,” Violet sighed.

“I wholeheartedly agree,” Fox said. “There’s no telling what we would have faced.”

“Given my readings, we would have had a bad time,” Oracle checked the virtual screen in front of her. “As for the readings in this area, there seem to be more shadows coming from the mansion and the labyrinth.”

Joker looked towards the mansion. “Then let’s check things out.” 

After everyone agreed, the team began to walk along the tiled path, their steps leading to the mansion’s main entrance. Once they reached the front door, Joker tried opening it, but to no avail.

“It’s locked...” Noir eyed the door with a frown.

“Does that mean we need to actually break in?” Panther cocked her head to the side as she placed a hand to her hip.

Just then, a male, butler-looking Shadow approached them. “I’m sorry, but guests must obtain an access key before entering the master’s home. And to do that, you must pass the master’s labyrinth challenge.”

“Labyrinth challenge?” Queen asked.

“Looks like Ooe wants to test the worth of his guests before letting them into his own home…” Crow pondered aloud. “If we want to make any further progress right now, we need to complete that challenge. So let’s get on with it.”

Turning back to the elegant, tiled area, the team made their way to the labyrinth’s entrance. To their surprise, there were no hostile shadows along the way. The only cognitive beings present were those of people who seemed to be Ooe’s invited guests.

Reaching the labyrinth’s main entryway, another male, butler-looking shadow stopped them. “Welcome, esteemed guests. Do you all wish to enter the labyrinth?”

“Yes, we do,” Joker nodded, placing his hands in his pockets.

“Very well,” the shadow nodded. “However, be warned: prior to entering, one of you will be chosen at random to bear a burden that will hinder everyone’s performance. Those who had close, past ties to the one and only Masayoshi Shido will have a higher probability of being chosen. And the effect will last for the entirety of this challenge.”

Crow and Joker looked at each other at the same time, knowing their awful luck. Between one of them being Shido’s hitman and the other being falsely accused by him, they knew that either of them would be a good candidate.

“Since we’re more likely to get chosen, I’d say there’s a fifty-fifty chance between the two of us,” Crow addressed his rival. “The team would lose a strong ally regardless.”

Joker nodded. “Then let’s find out who before going further in. We should head in first, the others right behind us.” He then looked towards everyone in the group. “If I’m chosen, Crow’s in charge.”

“Huh? Why is Crow in charge if something happens to you? Shouldn’t you give that roll to Mona or Queen?” Skull asked in confusion.

“I trust him, Skull.”

“If Joker is okay with handing command to him, then I don’t see any problems,” Mona acknowledged confidently.

“Same here,” Queen nodded.

Joker looked at his rival. “There you have it.”

“Such an honor,” Crow sneered, looking back at him. “Believe me, you won’t be disappointed.” He then crossed his arms in front of him. “But what if I’m chosen instead?”

“Then I’ll give our enemies double the pain, courtesy of you.”

Crow scoffed a laugh, his voice showing a hint of their usual, subtle flirtiness. “How enticing.”

Without further delay, Joker signaled with his hand for everyone to follow him, Crow at his side. When the two rivals entered the labyrinth first, the team noticed a sudden poof of smoke appear, engulfing one of them. When the smoke subsided, not only was there a height difference between the two, but there was an audible squeak coming from the smaller one.

“Looks like our leader got rattled,” Oracle announced, her sight locked onto their ratty leader.

“And it looks like I’m in charge,” Crow said, looking down at Joker and then at their Navi. “Oracle, you’re in charge of Joker when we’re in battle.”

“You got it.”

Crow then kneeled down to his ratty rival and extended an upward palm to him, his voice calm. “Come here.”

Without hesitation, Joker climbed up his hand and arm, reaching his shoulder in a matter of seconds. To Crow’s surprise, he wasn’t as heavy as he thought.

“Let’s keep moving,” he looked back to the others. “We can’t let this slow us down.”

With Crow as their temporary leader, the Phantom Thieves set out to explore the depths of the labyrinth. Making each twist and turn inside the hedge-like walls, while considering which could be the potential way out and fighting any shadows in their way, they managed to reach two diverging paths: one led to a dead end, and the other led to an elegant, golden door.

“This door looks like the right way to go,” Queen eyed at the door curiously.

“That’s most likely the case... “ Crow said, approaching the door and looking at its peculiar lock. “However, this seems to be locked from the inside.”

Joker, in his miniature form, nudged his head against Crow’s. With his rival’s full attention on him, Joker jumped off his shoulder and began to run towards the path with the dead end.

“Seems like he’s onto something,” Crow told the group before going after Joker, the others following suit. When they reached Joker, the little mouse had found a hole that was large enough for him to pass through but too small for the others to crawl into. And it apparently led into the locked room from before.

Knowing what his rival was planning on doing, Crow kneeled down to Joker. He had a tinge of worry in the back of his mind, but he decided to pay it no mind, wanting to fully trust that Joker will succeed in this idea of his. “Fine. Don’t get caught.”

Joker just squeaked twice while showing off a tiny stance, which was more cute than smug. Crow muffled a laugh, keeping his voice low as he poked one of Joker’s small ears, all the while keeping the sharp point of his finger out of Joker’s range. “Acting all cocky while being in that cuter form doesn’t help your case. Now go.”

Quickly turning towards the hole, Joker ran through without any further delay. When his little head reached the other side, he saw countless powerful shadows lurking about. ‘This is bad.’

Looking to his left, he saw the door he needed to unlock, and to the right, there was a tall statue, as well as a small passageway right above him that encircled the entire room up until the top of said door. But the passage was partially visible to the enemies, since it was covered with holes.

Showing a determined glance at the passageway while being wary of the nearby shadows, Joker dashed up the statue and crawled into the passage, stopping now and then to avoid being discovered. After crawling stealthily across it, he finally managed to reach the door.

But he had a slight problem: he was a mouse. And leaping down would only make it impossible for him to reach the lock. So he backed up, his eyes focused on the lock. He then looked to the hole that was to his left, seeing that one of the shadows patrolling the area had moved further away from the door. Moving his sight to the lock once more, he gave himself a bit of an impulse before sprinting out of the hole and jumping towards the lock. With his tiny paws already on the lock, he twisted at it, making it come undone. 

Hearing the door finally unlock, Crow opened it right away. And in a matter of seconds, Joker jumped down and came rushing out of the door to leap onto Crow, who caught him in his arms just in the nick of time, before crawling back up his shoulder with a squeak. “Impressive as always, Joker.” He then turned his attention to the shadow-infested room, his gaze as sharp as his mask. “Let’s tear them apart.”

* * *

“Congratulations! You’ve passed the challenge and have earned the right to an access key!” A female, butler-like shadow announced as we walked out of the labyrinth’s final door. The key was laying on a silver tray she was holding.

“Finally,” Skull exclaimed, clearly exhausted.

After Joker unlocked that first door and the team ambushed the rest of the enemies, the Phantom Thieves needed to do this procedure about two more times. The second room had a locked door that Joker could only access from the hallway on the other side of this door, and the third room had the same strategy as the first room. However, it was the third room that showed more difficulty, since Joker had to traverse a passageway that was divided into multiple chunks, forcing him to jump across these multiple parts to get to the lock.

“Perfect, we’ll be taking that access key now,” Crow began to say, before looking at Joker, wondering why he hadn’t returned to normal yet. As if on cue, a poof of smoke appeared around Joker, making the mouse squeak in surprise and Crow grunt at the resulting weight on him. Falling back due to gravity and hitting the ground with a thud, the two rivals landed flat on their butts, Crow’s back crashing onto Joker’s chest as Joker tried to support one arm on the ground and another wrapped in front of Crow.

“Ow…” Joker felt himself complain, before fully taking notice of his rival and giving him a casual smile. “Hey, Crow.”

Crow just glared at him, their position a bit too much to his liking at the moment. “Joker, I’d appreciate it if you’d take your arm off me.”

“Can do,” Joker obliged, letting go of him without a second thought.

As the two rivals began to stand, Oracle went ahead and picked up the card from the silver platter. “... Just give it here.”

The shadow chuckled. “You might have won the card, but that doesn’t mean you’d get to use it anytime soon.”

It was then that the shadow revealed its true form: Alice. Seeing the true nature of this threat, Joker decided on his team: other than himself, he’d have Crow, Skull, and Violet.

“This shadow is a tough one!” Oracle announced. “Be careful.”

Alice started the battle off with Maeigaon, which managed to hit Skull and knock Violet down. She then used Megidolaon, hitting everyone on the team.

“You gotta be kidding,” Skull panted as he felt his health dropping. “William!” He used Fighting Spirit, giving the team an extra boost in power.

“Time to do this,” Joker said, before placing a hand to his mask. “Persona!” Using Raoul’s Phantom Show skill, he was able to make Alice fall asleep on the spot. “Violet, you got this?”

With a slight nod, Violet slowly stood up, standing her ground as she faced the enemy. “You can count on me!” Calling upon Ella, she used her Kougaon skill and knocked Alice on the ground. But even after the team used their All-Out Attack, Alice was still standing. And it seemed like the attack woke her up.

“Shit,” Crow swore as he went back into a fighting stance. “If I recall correctly, Joker used to have this Persona. And some of her skills are extremely deadly.”

“You’re right on that one, Crow,” Oracle nodded. Despite her internal concern, she had determination in her eyes. “You guys need to finish her off, and fast.”

With a giggling laugh, Alice used her Mudo Boost skill to amplify her instant death curse abilities. She then used her unique and deadly skill: Die for Me!.

“Oh no!” Oracle exclaimed, before using Final Guard on the team, defending them from the otherwise fatal attack. “Guys, it’s now or never.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice!” Skull beamed, summoning his Persona once again and using God’s Hand, which gave Alice some colossal damage.

“Raoul!” Joker called, using Phantom Show once again to put Alice to sleep.

Violet then looked to Joker. “Senpai, let’s dance!”

With a nod, Joker and Violet used their Showtime Attack, making Alice’s health drop even lower. However, she was still standing on her last legs.

“Someone’s persistent,” Crow observed amusingly, his signature sneer appearing on his face moments after. “Joker, you up for a massacre?”

His rival looked back at him, a smirk on his face. “Just say the word.”

Having said this, Crow and Joker performed their Showtime Attack as well, which managed to finish off Alice once and for all.

Mona, as well as the other members, then approached the other four Phantom Thieves. “Looks like the shadows here put up more of a fight. Do we want to call it a day or do we keep going?”

“Let’s end things here for today,” Joker decided.

“After countless encounters, I believe we deserve to recover our strength,” Fox agreed.

“Then let’s come back tomorrow, same time, same place,” Queen added.

And with that said, the Phantom Thieves decided to retreat for the day.

* * *

**12/27/20XX - Night**

Back at Leblanc’s attic, Akira was fixing up some infiltration tools over at his usual desk, Morgana was sleeping on a corner of the bed, and Akechi was back to reading his book on the sofa.

Tweaking with a lockpick one last time, Akira spoke up. “... So you think I’m cute?”

Akechi just turned a page nonchalantly. “Akira, we’ve been dating for more than four months already.”

“So?”

“Don’t you think that question is a bit extra at this point?”

“Maybe, maybe not.” With a finishing touch, Akira put down his creation and stood up from his seat, walking towards his rival and sitting next to him. He then leaned to his side to plop his head on his shoulder comfortably, his arms casually crossed in front of him. His gaze on Akechi had a hint of playfulness in them. “You tell me.”

Akechi glanced at his rival, before shaking his head and continuing with his book, a sigh escaping his lips. “You’re impossible.” He then turned another page. “Back when we first met, I found our insightful discussion at the TV Station to be worthwhile and engaging. And honestly, me finding you moderately attractive was just the cherry on top.”

“Only moderately?” Akira teased.

“Compared to a detective who maintained a specific care routine to appease the public, I would think so.”

“Says the guy who was confident about me meeting some standards of “attractiveness and intelligence” before hanging out at some café. And here I thought you were partially hinting at how we were equally smart and good looking.”

Akechi gave a short laugh at his past subtlety. “To be fair, that extreme fanbase of mine was rather picky about such standards. Had you not passed muster, you would have been a target of harassment all over social media. And that would have been a pain in the ass to deal with on your end. So in other words, you’re lucky my fanbase found you to be just as eye-catching as I did.”

Something then glistened in Akira’s eyes. “Then what if you weren’t so popular back then? Would you have taken me out regardless?”

Akechi hummed as he thought up his answer. “Depends.”

Akira placed his chin on his shoulder, a cocky grin on his face. “Are you sure about that?”

A smile tugged at his rival’s lips as he rolled his eyes, his focus not leaving his book despite his amusement. But his attention switched to Akira when he felt a couple of fingers tuck a strand of hair behind his ear and a pair of lips kissing his cheek. Feeling his cheeks flush lightly and noticing the weight of Akira’s head on his shoulder once again, he turned his head a bit to look at him. Akira had his eyes closed, as well as a peaceful smile on his face. “You look comfortable.”

“I am,” Akira answered, his eyes still closed. “Could possibly sleep for a good while like this.”

“I doubt you’d want to deal with a sore neck afterwards.” Akechi placed down his book on the nearby table, before extending a hand to fondly scratch behind Akira’s exposed ear. “So let’s just go to bed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unused game content is the bestXD Thank you Crow for calling Joker "cuter" when he's rattled>.<
> 
> Hope everyone enjoyed this latest chapter! Stay tuned for more:)


	28. Need a ride?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**12/28/20XX - Afternoon**

Entering the Palace for the second time, the Phantom Thieves began to approach the mansion once more, their access key in hand.

“Let’s hope there’s less surprises in store for us,” Fox muttered.

Crow shook his head. “Sounds less likely, since the ruler likes imitating Shido.”

“We’ll get past those surprises, just you wait,” Joker patted his rival’s back. Other than Joker, no one would dare come so close to Crow in such a casual way. Let alone allow such a hand to linger before retreating it.

And Queen was becoming more aware of their closeness. “You two seem to be getting along really well recently.”

“Just because we’re rivals, doesn’t mean we need to hate each other’s guts,” Crow told her matter-of-factly, before looking at his rival with a knowing smile. “Isn’t that right, Joker?”

Recalling what he had said once during their aquarium date months ago, Joker nodded back at him with a smile as well. “You know it.”

As they reached the mansion and opened its doors, the first thing they saw was a giant, golden statue of Shido in the middle of the elegantly furnished room.

Crow eyed it with hostility. “Disgusting.”

Just then, a female, butler shadow approached them. “Welcome to the master’s home. I’m sure you’d all like to meet our dear master at his meeting quarters. But in order to do that, a trial must be passed.”

“What kind of trial?” Panther asked.

The shadow pointed towards the northern part of the room, which had a golden archway that led to another room. “Simple: beyond this room’s northern archway, there are a variety of stairs. Just climb the right ones and you’ll reach the main waiting room. Do otherwise and you’ll face some unknown, formidable opponent. It’ll determine how much you are willing to continue the trial and how eager you are to meet our master in the flesh.”

“There’s a catch, no?” Crow asked knowingly.

“But of course. Two of your teammates will be chosen at random to bear a burden. The odds will be against those who have had connections to the one and only Masayoshi Shido… no matter how small.”

“So just like before, huh…” Violet contemplated,

“We’re most likely to get rattled, so let’s be on our guard,” Oracle announced.

“Hold on. He said “no matter how small”,” Fox pondered. “Does that mean we need to consider other people as well?”

Mona nodded. “That’s most likely the case.”

“Then let’s see who’s unlucky this time around,” Crow said, before the team decided to head into the archway.

Moving into the other room, two puffs of smoke appeared amongst the team. When the smoke cleared up, the rest of the team saw two mice. And they were none other than Crow and Oracle.

Joker knew just what to do. “Mona, you’re in charge of navigation. Queen, you’re in charge of looking after Crow and Oracle during battle.”

“Gotcha,” Queen affirmed.

“Roger that,” Mona followed suit.

In her mouse form, Oracle ran up to Violet and began to jump with her paws raised up. With a giggle, Violet picked her up in her arms. “I’ve got her whenever we’re out of battle.”

“Perfect,” Joker nodded in approval. Then, with a knowing smile, he approached his rival and kneeled down to get closer to him. “Need a ride?”

Crow just stared at him for a few seconds, debating whether or not to hitch a ride on Joker’s shoulder this time around or be the proud person he usually is. In the end, he climbed up without another squeak. But before Joker could extend an arm for him to climb on, Crow jumped from his knee to his shoulder with ease.

With everything said and done, the Phantom Thieves began the mansion’s trial. The first room they were currently at had three flights of stairs, each leading to a different area of the mansion after some twist and turns around the room. And each of these staircases was adorned with different, colored carpets: the first one was red, the second was golden, and the final one was navy blue.

Skull looked at each flight of stairs in confusion. “So how do we know which one’s the right one?”

“We should consider the Palace ruler’s desires,” Mona said. “This is a royal estate, so there’s a chance the answer involves something luxurious.”

“What about the carpets?” Fox asked. “They seem to be the only different thing in this room.”

“Maybe they hold some sort of clue?” Noir asked.

After pondering for a second, a lightbulb went on in Joker’s head. “Gold.”

“What about gold?” Skull asked.

“Of course!” Panther caught on. “Remember the fountain that’s right outside? And even Shido’s statue? They’re all made of gold.”

“And the archway to this trial, too,” Mona acknowledged. “So our safest bet is to choose the stairs with the golden carpet. Joker?”

Joker nodded. “Let’s go.”

After approaching the staircase with the golden carpet, the team began to climb up the lengthy stairs until reaching a hallway that resided at the top.

As they continued across the hallway, Noir was looking at the carpet curiously. “This carpet is not just golden: it even has some professional embroidery on its sides. You can even notice—”

Looking down at the carpet as well, Mona’s eyes widened in surprise. “No way… are those diamonds?!”

“Damn, he really went all out,” Skull commented.

“No kidding,” Violet said, Oracle squeaking her own response right after. “Seems like he has really expensive taste.”

Reaching the end of the hallway, the Phantom Thieves arrived at the next room. Unlike the first room, this second room had four staircases with carpets instead: the first one was a brownish red, the second one was a dull gray, the third one was a bright yellow, and the last one was a radiant gray.

“So all we do is choose the golden one again, right?” Skull asked excitedly.

“Not so fast, Skull,” Mona urged. “Choosing the same colored carpet again sounds a bit too easy.”

“I’d have to agree with you on that one,” Queen said.

“You know, these carpets kinda remind me of competition medals,” Violet eyed the carpets. “Well, except the shiny gray one.” She then pointed at each of the other carpets as she named them. “That one’s copper, this next one is silver, and the other one is gold.”

“Hey, that’s right! I see it now,” Skull beamed, recalling his track team days.

“Then the last of the three must be platinum,” Queen concluded.

“Oh! How could I forget?” Violet realized. “Platinum is not really used as a medal material in the competitions I’ve been in, but it's sometimes used in other competitions.”

“Then should we go with the platinum carpet?” Noir asked.

“It IS more expensive,” Joker glanced at his ratty rival, who just squeaked and nodded in response. “So let’s go with that.”

“All right then, let’s move,” Mona said, before the team went ahead and climbed the staircase that had the platinum carpet.

“This one also has some golden embroidery on it,” Panther observed.

“And it has bright, gray beads on it as well…” Fox added on. “Perhaps they’re made of platinum?”

“Most likely,” Noir affirmed.

“We shouldn’t be far from the next room,”Joker said as he began to scratch the back of Crow’s tiny ears. His tiny, mouse self just clinged to Joker’s shoulder, his head leaning against Joker’s light touch ever so slightly. “If this is anything like the labyrinth, it should be the last one.”

Arriving at the third room, the team was faced with seven staircases. And each carpet was one of the following seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.

“Looks like we’ve got ourselves a rainbow,” Panther commented. “Seems like Ooe wants to add more of a challenge for us.”

“You’re right on that, Panther,” Mona nodded. “This may be a bit more tricky than the last two rooms.”

“If we’re talking colors, maybe I can assist?” Fox asked. “If we’re talking about which one’s most expensive, I’d have to say violet. Purple is usually associated with royalty, so violet can fall into that category easily.”

“Then let’s choose the staircase with the violet carpet,” Queen said, before everyone walked up their selected staircase.

“Huh, this carpet has the same golden embroidery as before, but now it has topaz gemstones instead,” Noir observed as she went up the stairs.

“So no diamonds this time?” Queen asked, finding the change in detail rather odd. “Strange… it should cost less to use topaz.”

Right when the team reached the top of the staircase, the floor right under their feet disappeared.

“What the he—?!” Skull shouted as everyone else screamed, all the while falling onto what seemed to be a slide and sliding through a dark tunnel. As the bottom of the slide was getting closer, the team noticed a dim light, which grew more and more as they approached it at high speeds. It was after they reached the light that they found themselves falling from the ceiling and landing on the floor with a thud.

“Ow…” Panther complained as she started to sit up slowly.

“Is everyone okay?” Joker asked, sitting up with Crow in his arms.

“S-So far so good,” Violet answered, Oracle still grabbing onto her protective arm for dear life as she squeaked.

“Did we choose the wrong one?” Fox asked in a perplexed tone.

“You have chosen the wrong path, now you must show your worth of just being here!” A male, shadow butler declared as she revealed the Phantom Thieves’ opponent: Mada.

Placing Crow down and seeing him nod at him before running off to Queen’s side, Joker stood up. The others followed suit as they observed their new opponent. “All right. Fox, Noir, Violet, let’s go.”

“On it!” Violet shouted as she placed down Oracle next to Queen and ran into position.

The battle began with Mada using Blazing Hell, which managed to hit Noir and knock Fox down. Seeing this as an opening, Mada decided to hit Fox with its Agidyne skill two times in a row for extra damage.

“The enemy is targeting its attacks on Fox!” Mona warned. “His Persona’s ice skills are this shadow’s weakness, so we need him in top shape.”

“I’ll try confusing it!” Noir declared, before calling upon Lucy and using her Persona’s Tentarafoo skill. But to her surprise, there was no change in the enemy’s behavior. “What?”   
“Looks like it’s immune to confusion,” Mona observed.

“That’s bad,” Violet commented in a panic, before using Ella’s Diarahan skill to heal Fox. “Can another ailment work?”

“M-Most likely,” Fox answered, slowly standing up and using Gorokichi’s Bufudyne skill. To their luck, Mada got knocked down, so the team used their All-Out Attack to deal some massive damage. Going back into their battle positions, Fox looked at their leader. “Any ideas, Joker?”

“How about this?” Joker said, using Raoul’s Phantom Show skill. But once again, there was no effect on their enemy.

It was then that the team heard an eager squeak from behind them. Oracle was mimicking someone putting on a jacket and signaling at Mada.

Queen got the gist of it quickly. “The enemy has an item, and it seems that it resists sleeping ailments.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Skull commented on the sidelines. “Just how prepared IS this guy?”

“Prepared enough,” Joker answered. “Incoming!”

Mada used its Agidyne ability two times once again. The first attack missed the whole team, but the second one managed to hit Fox and knock him down again. Planning to attack once more, Mada used Blazing Hell, which dealt damage to Fox and Joker.

“Lucy!” Noir called to her Persona, summoning a Life Wall on everyone on the team.

Violet then used Ella’s Sword Dance skill, dealing colossal damage onto Mada, before Fox used Gorokichi’s Hyakka Ryouran to amp up the team’s stats. Joker then threw a Despair Vile S at Mada, but there were no changes yet again.

“Again?” Mona asked in shock. “Wait, is this shadow immune to psychological ailments?”

Having seen enough, Crow decided to run off to the side of the room in a hurry.

“Crow, where are you going?!” Queen tried to stop him, but the ratty teammate was already too far away from her.

“It’s fine, Queen,” Joker exclaimed in reassurance. “He might have something in mind.”

Right after these words left Joker’s mouth, Mada unleashed Blazing Hell on them, which immediately broke everyone’s defensive shields. The shadow then used Blazing Hell once again, but it only hit Violet this time around.

“Let’s give it our all,” Joker said with determination. 

With a unanimous nod from the remaining three members, they began an ambush of attacks: Noir with Lucy’s One-Shot Kill, Violet with Ella’s Sword Dance, and Fox with Gorokichi’s Bufudyne. Having all of these attacks inflict damage on the enemy plus a knock down at the end, the team performed another All-Out Attack. Mada, despite the large amount of damage, was still standing. But there was a hint of weakness in the shadow’s stance.

“One strong hit should do the job,” Joker contemplated. He then thought he heard a squeak from above. Glancing up, he was surprised to see Crow swinging on the chandelier, which was right above the enemy. Before Joker had a chance to react, Crow jumped down with a shrilling squeak and latched itself onto the enemy’s face, causing Mada to move around briskly. Every time Mada tried to pry Crow off, the ratty team member just held on even tighter.

With a smirk, Joker took out a Frost Magatama and threw it at the struggling enemy. And just as the item approached, Crow jumped off the enemy’s face. Making a run for it, Joker bolted to where Crow was falling. And just in the nick of time, he managed to catch him and barrel-roll away from the knocked-down enemy. Crow then leaped out of Joker’s arms after the barrel-roll and scurried off to Queen’s side once more. 

Turning back to the knocked-down enemy, Joker held a battle stance. “Let’s finish this!”

Unleashing a final All-Out Attack, the team finally finished up their foe.

“Great job, team,” Joker told the other three members, before walking up to Crow and crouching down in front of him. As if on cue, his tiny rival retook his place on his shoulder. “You too, Crow.” His small rival gave a cocky squeak, which only made Joker chuckle. “Though that shriek from earlier sounded more cute than menacing.”

With a tiny glare, Crow gave his rival a miniature growl. But despite this warning of annoyance, he went ahead and nudged his head against Joker’s jaw with a nonchalant squeak, before setting himself closer to his neck.

“Well then, since we took care of that shadow,” Mona began to say, “I think we should find a way back from here.”

“Speaking of which, where DID we end up?” Violet asked, picking up the approaching Oracle in her arms.

Looking up, Fox’s eyes widened. “There are holes on the ceiling?”

“We must have fallen out of one of those holes when we chose the wrong staircase,” Mona contemplated. “From the looks of it, I’d say any wrong choice would take us back to this room. And there’s a high chance we need to go into another fight if that happens.”

“What is this, the Palace version of chutes and ladders?” Skull asked in disbelief.

“In any case, we should head back to our previous location,” Queen said, before looking at a singular staircase that was located on the other side of the room. “It’s good that we don’t have to choose our path this time around.”

That being said, the team went up the staircase. Once they arrived at the top, the team found themselves face-to-face with a wall, which opened up to another room: the trial’s first room.

“We’re back to where we started,” Panther pointed out after everyone entered the room, all the while hearing the wall behind them close.

“At least we know what stairs we shouldn't take,” Noir said.

Fox looked down. “I apologize for my poor decision. I honestly thought that would be the right one.”

“It’s all right, Fox,” Queen comforted. “To be honest, I would have suggested the same one.”

Mona then looked around the room. “There seem to be no changes in this room, so we should be in the clear to take the same path up again.”

“Then let’s move out,” Joker announced, before everyone started to make their way up to the third room.

Going up the two sets of stairs a second time, the Phantom Thieves arrived at the room with seven staircases.

Sweeping a glance at the six possible choices, Mona began to think aloud. “All right, so we know the staircase with the violet carpet is not the way to go. There has to be something else we haven’t fully considered.”

“What about the details adorning the carpets?” Queen suggested. “The previous two carpets we’ve chosen had a golden embroidery pattern, as well as some expensive beads or gemstones.”

“You’re right,” Mona nodded. “I think it’d be a good start if we check the remaining six carpets for a golden embroidery. If the choice is still not clear after checking that out, we may need to consider any beads or gemstones that the embroideries may have.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Joker agreed. “Everyone spread out.”

That being said, everyone went to a different staircase to check on the embroideries on the carpets.

“This one’s magenta,” Queen alerted as she looked over the indigo carpet with Noir. “So this one’s out.”

“And this one’s silver,” Panther added as she crouched down to look at the orange carpet.

“Same here,” Mona said, observing the green carpet.

“This one here is golden,” Fox nodded as he and Skull looked at the yellow carpet.

“Same with the blue carpet,” Violet added as Oracle nodded her tiny head.

“And the red carpet as well,” Joker concluded as Crow eyed the red carpet curiously. His ratty rival then jumped down from his shoulder to take a closer look at the design.

Mona began to approach the staircase with the yellow carpet. “Perfect. Now we need to look at either the gemstones or the beads.” Taking a closer look at the carpet, he gave a slight nod. “This one definitely has rubies.”

Walking over to the blue-carpeted staircase with Queen, Noir took a glance at the carpet’s embroidery. “And I’m pretty sure this one has sapphires.”

Joker crouched down as he saw Crow eyeing the tiny, sparkling gemstones on the embroidery. Looking back at Joker, Crow gave him a nod and a squeak, which made him shift his gaze to the gemstones. They looked familiar. “Diamonds.”

“And we have a winner,” Mona beamed as he and the others regrouped with Crow and Joker. “Let’s head on up.”

The team then proceeded towards the top of the stairs, and this time, they didn’t fall into a different room. Instead, they encountered a male, butler shadow with a silver tray.

“Congratulations! You’ve all made it past the trial,” the shadow announced, before extending his tray to the team. “Please accept this badge of approval.”

Approaching the tray, Queen took the badge. “I’ll take that.”

It was seconds later that two puffs of smoke reappeared amongst the team, a singular thud coming right after.

“We’ve got Oracle back!” Violet smiled as she carried Oracle, one arm around her back and another one under her knees. Their Navi just grinned, hanging one arm around Violet’s shoulders for support as she gave the team a peace sign.

“Crow, too,” Joker groaned as he laid face down, his body getting crushed by his rival, who was right on top of him. He then side-glanced at Crow’s face, which was right next to his. “Why am I always breaking your fall?”   
“Don’t blame me Joker, blame gravity,” Crow answered nonchalantly.

Joker just gave him a cocky smirk. “Should I blame it or thank it?”

This earned a singular laugh from Crow. “Surprise me.”

As the two rivals got off each other to stand up and Oracle leaped out of Violet’s arms, the butler laughed in amusement. “Even if you ARE worthy of holding that badge, that doesn’t mean you can overcome this final challenge.”

As the shadow began to transform into another challenging opponent, Joker looked at Crow. “You wanna jump back in?”

“Is that even a question?” His rival smirked. “Let’s take care of this pest.”

* * *

“Does this guy really think he’s THAT exclusive?” Panther asked.

“Apparently,” Skull responded. “Seriously, how are we gonna get an invite from him? It’s not like he’ll invite anyone he meets.”

After the battle with the shadow, the team had arrived at what seemed to be a waiting room with elegant sofas and paintings. There was even a dimly, lit fireplace that warmed up the room to a minimal extent. To the side, there was a safe room ready for use. And at the other end of the room, there was a female, butler shadow guarding a giant, closed door.

It was after they approached the shadow that the team was informed of the following: they needed a formal invitation from Ooe himself before entering his quarters. And based on Oracle’s findings, the treasure was right inside that room. So before they left the Palace for the time being, the Phantom Thieves decided to head into the nearby Safe Room to discuss the situation further.

Joker placed his hands inside his pockets, a smirk on his face.“He will if it’s a pretty girl he recently met.”

Crow glared at his rival in annoyance. “Don’t tell me you’re serious. Did you forget what happened last time?”

Skull looked at him in confusion. “Wait, what happened last time?”

“Long story short: Ooe wanted to get inside Joker’s pants,” Oracle clarified. “Though I think the word “skirt” is more appropriate in this case.”

“The eff, man?” Skull looked at their leader in shock. “You seriously look THAT hot as a chick?”

Mona worriedly crossed his arms. “Either that or he REALLY wants some company. In general, it wasn’t a pleasant interaction to hear play out.”

“Not to mention revolting,” Crow scowled. “Joker, I believe everyone here is just as confident as you are in your ability to infiltrate and keep a low profile. But unlike last time, you won’t have Sae-san to help you out if you end up in a bind. I hope you’re aware of that.”

“I know, and I plan on getting out of there intact,” Joker assured. “You, as well as everyone else, can count on that.”

Crow kept his unwavering gaze fixed on Joker’s, his voice serious. “... Very well.”

Joker then looked over to their Navi. “Oracle?”

“I’ve got ya covered,” Oracle nodded. “We can discuss anything extra when we get back.”

“I take it you don’t need sis’s help again, yes?” Queen asked.

“Actually, I do,” Joker admitted. “I didn’t get Ooe’s number last time, so can you check if she has it on her?”

“Will do.”

“Perfect.”

“Then if that’s settled,” Mona looked towards everyone on the team,”do we want to call it a day?”

Joker nodded. “I think that’d be best, especially after today’s battles. Everyone okay with that?”

With a unanimous nod, everyone began to leave the Safe Room one by one, Joker waiting on his teammates to leave before leaving the room and closing the door. Meanwhile, Crow decided to lean against a wall that was right next to this door, watching the other members exit the room.

But it was when Joker started to leave that he shifted his position, pushing himself lightly off the wall and firmly placing a clawed hand on Joker’s shoulder. “Joker, given our past quarrel, I won’t try to stop you from going through with this stunt. But do keep this in mind: you’ll be walking into the lion’s den. We can plan for hours, but there’s no telling how things will unfold after you step inside. This is his private home, not his public workspace.”

Joker side-glanced at his rival’s masked face. “I’m aware of that, don’t worry.”

Despite this assurance, Crow clutched his shoulder a bit tighter. “... You know I can’t just “not worry” about this.”

“This WILL work. Just as he has the element of surprise on his hands, we’ll have ours. And before you know it, we’ll be on our way to change his heart.”

“Then I trust you to get the job done in one piece,” Crow said, before letting go of his rival’s shoulder. “I’ll expect nothing less from our fearless leader… and my partner in justice.”

Joker arched a brow in amusement. “Don’t you mean “partner in crime”?”

His rival just smiled smugly at him. “Last time I checked, you said that stealing the right hearts is justice, NOT a crime.”

“Then I guess that means stealing yours was rightfully just,” Joker said with an evident smirk.

Crow stared him down with a glare. “Cheesy.”

“Cocky.”

“Insufferable.”

“Ruthless.”

“Baffling.”

“Cute.”

“Aki—!” Crow was about to shout in frustration, his cheeks heating up behind his mask.

But the sound of Skull calling out to them made them stop abruptly, causing them to look outside the room. “Hey guys! You coming or what?”

Crow then locked eyes with Joker. “We’re not done here.”

With a laugh, Joker finally left the room with Crow to catch up with the others. But their small competition was far from over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Using gems gave me some Steven Universe vibes tbh:3 (Especially when I used Ruby and Sapphire)
> 
> Also, while writing this chapter, I came across an amusing thought: rattled Crow swinging from that chandelier with Sia's song Chandelier in the backgroundXD Don't know why I find that funny lol
> 
> Anywho... hope everyone enjoyed this latest chapter! Stay tuned for more:)


	29. So, hypothetically, you wouldn’t?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**12/31/20XX - Night**

_Akechi: Make sure you get back before midnight._

_Akira: That’s the plan;)_

_Akechi: I’m serious, Akira._

_Akira: So am I. I want your handsome face to be the first thing I see in the new year… and I want my New Year kiss;3_

_Akechi: … Seriously, you’re beyond hope._

_Akira: Says the one who made a mess out of me after I got back last time._

_Akechi: Aren’t you one to talk?_

_Akira: <3 <3 <3_

After getting Ooe’s phone number from Sae, Akira gave Ooe a call to meet up and “keep each other company”. The resulting call were just as expected.

* * *

**_FLASHBACK: 12/29/20XX - Evening_ **

_“Good evening, Ooe-san. This is Watson, Sae-san’s apprentice,” Akira’s slightly feminine voice sounded on his side of the call. He was leaning back casually on the chair closest to Leblanc’s phone, all the while channeling his inner Watson-kun._

_“Oh, why hello there, Watson-san!” Ooe beamed, not at all surprised as his voice rang through the phone’s speaker. “Did Sae-san give you my number?”_

_Akechi muffled a mocking laugh as he sat to Akira’s left, his arms crossed. “Typical.”_

_“Agreed,” Morgana said in discomfort as he sat on the seat next to him._

_“She did,” Akira went on, twirling one of his short strands of hair. “I wanted to ask if your offer still stands. You know, the one about “special company”.”_

_Ooe laughed amusedly. “Ha! So you’re looking for some more excitement in life, sweetheart? And here I thought you were loyal to your boyfriend.”_

_Akechi clenched his fists tightly as he felt a vein pop. One thing was calling Ooe for a hookup, another thing was Ooe flirting and using pet names on the spot. And right now, he was beyond annoyed at how Ooe was flirting so openly with his boyfriend and rival._

_So Akira just grabbed his arm, trying to calm him down as he continued on with the conversation. “Boyfriend? More like “ex-boyfriend”. I never wanna hear from that trash ever again.” He then met Akechi’s gaze and mouthed a quick ‘love you’ to him, which resulted in an eye roll from his rival. But that didn’t stop Akechi from taking the hand on his arm and intertwining their fingers together._

_“It’s his loss then,” Ooe stated. “You’re a precious jewel!”_

_“Your words flatter me, sir,” Akira complimented as he stroked a thumb across Akechi’s hand. “Especially in my lonely state.”_

_“Then don’t be lonely, dear. You’re more than welcome in my home.”_

_“You really don’t mind giving such comfort to a woman like myself?”_

_“Not at all. Hey, you know what? How about we spend New Year’s Eve together? I take it you’re not occupied then, yes?”_

_Akira pursed his lips. “I will be, since I’ll be spending some quality time with you.”_

_Ooe let out a hearty laugh. “You almost caught me there! Well then, I’ll be seeing more of you in a few days, beautiful. Take care.”_

_“Likewise. Until then.” And with that said, Akira hung up._

_“He really has the hots for you, huh?” Morgana commented. “This plan better come through as expected, otherwise… yikes.”_

_“Everything will occur as planned,” Akira assured. “Especially since I don’t want Goro to throw hands with Ooe before we send the Calling Card.”_

_“I’m not THAT reckless, Akira,” Akechi stated flatly._

_“So, hypothetically, you wouldn’t?”_

_“... I never said that.”_

_Akira glanced playfully at his rival. “Then does that mean...?”_

_Akechi shook his head, letting go of Akira’s hand. “Just let the others know about our plan’s status. And call Maruki.”_

* * *

**12/31/20XX - Night**

“Here’s your stop,” Maruki announced, stopping his car in front of a flamboyant house in a nicely kept neighborhood. “I’ll be doing a few laps around the block while I wait for you to come out.”

“Thanks again, Dr. Maruki,” Akira said.

“Anytime, Kurusu-kun. See you in a bit.”

With that said, Maruki drove off. Looking at the house, Akira took a deep breath and began to walk towards the front door, his stride ever so confident as he walked in his heels for a second time. He was glad that he and Ann bought two outfits instead of one the first time they went shopping. They bought it since they thought it may come in handy and, to their surprise, it very well did. So now Akira was wearing the same winter coat, scarf, and gloves as before, with the only difference being the long-sleeved, navy blue dress that hugged his waist ever so lightly. ‘Let’s do this.’

Once he reached the door, he rang the doorbell. It was moments after that a jolly Ooe answered the door. “Well look who it is! Come in, come in.”

Stepping into the luxurious home, Akira took his first glance around. The room they were in right now was the main living room. It was not as elegant as the Palace, but it was a close second. There was a fireplace and, in front of it, two loveseat sofas and a table with what seemed to be a bottle of wine and two glasses. And to top it all off, there was an elegant rug beneath the sofa and tables, as well as many exquisite paintings on the walls.

“I was thinking of having a drink or two with you, since we have all night to do whatever we please,” Ooe mentioned as he closed the door. He then gestured to a sofa. “After you, beautiful.”

“Thank you for having me,” Akira nodded, proceeding to the nearest sofa and taking off his coat and scarf.

“I think I’m gonna be sick,” Futaba said on the other line, her hands swifty typing on her laptop.

“That makes two of us,” Morgana added on.

“And I’m already sick to the stomach so can we please stop with the obvious commentary,” Akechi glared at the other two in the room.

“Someone’s touchy,” Futaba observed. “Can’t handle having your boyfriend in some other guy’s house, huh?”

With crossed arms, Akechi looked back at the screen. “Let’s just focus on the task at hand.”

After Akira placed the coat and scarf neatly on one side of the sofa, he sat down next to it. “Nice place you have here.”

Ooe sat down on the other sofa and began to pour some wine into the glasses. “It’s only the best for a prime minister.” He then extended a half-filled glass to Akira. “Your drink.”

“O-oh I shouldn’t be drinking, Ooe-san,” Akira waved both his hands in front of him, rejecting the drink. He was not of age yet, and he didn’t want to risk the mission’s success by getting tipsy or, even worse, drunk. “I’m currently on-call with the office.”

“Even on New Year’s Eve?” Ooe asked in shock.

“Sae-san entrusted me with an important case and I want to do my best in it.”

“Suit yourself, dear,” Ooe shrugged, taking the glass back and placing it on the tray once more. “So, tell me about yourself.”

“Well—”

There was a sudden ring coming from Akira’s coat. With evident surprise on his face, Akira extended a hand and began to search his coat for his phone. Once he found it, he answered the phone quickly. “Yes? This is Watson speaking.”

“This is your cue to leave,” Akechi said on the other side of the call.

“Right now?”

“Yes. Don’t keep me waiting.” Akechi then noticed Futaba raising her brows playfully. “Don’t start.”

“I understand. I’ll be there soon,” Akira concluded the call, hanging up right after. He then turned to Ooe with a sigh. “My apologies… Looks like duty calls.”

Ooe’s look saddened. “So soon? We’ve hardly even started.”

“This case means a lot to me, so please try to understand,” Akira said in an equally saddened tone, standing up and picking up his coat and scarf. Once he put on his winter attire once again, Akira looked to Ooe once more. “Well then… I apologize once again, Ooe-san.” After visibly typing something on his phone, Akira then started walking to the door, his hand on the handle once he got close enough.

But a larger hand grabbed onto the one on the door. And that was before he felt the man in the room press against him, his mouth close to his hidden earpiece. “You really want to leave a man hanging like this?”

‘Shit,’ Akira thought in a bit of a panic, gasping as he felt a cold chill run down his spine. But he heard an even louder and audible “bastard” coming from the other line. However, despite these turn of events, Watson-kun wasn’t going to let Ooe’s advances get in the way of their plans. “This is sexual harassment, sir.”

“You’re the one who wanted some damned company. And here I thought I was going to have a good time.”

“My job is more important than this. And I have the right to say no to your current advances.”

Ooe’s grip on Akira’s hand tightened. “It was you who came onto me tonight, looking like this. Are you busy or just toying with me, bitch?”

Akira then tsked in annoyance. “I’d advise you to let me leave Ooe-san, unless you want me to report this “incident”.”

“Report this incident?” Ooe asked, enraged. He let go of Akira with a push, crossing his arms as he continued on. “You have no evidence.”

“As a matter of fact, I do.” Turning to Ooe, Akira showed him his phone. “I’ve been recording our current conversation as we speak. And I believe the last thing you want is a public scandal about you, the prime minister, harassing someone so indecently. Now, unless you want me to make this public, I’d suggest you let me leave.”

“Damn it… All right, fine. Just get out of here.”

Turning back to the handle, Watson-kun finally managed to open the door and head out. And right on cue, Maruki was driving up to meet with him again.

“Dr. Maruki should be right outside,” Futaba announced.

“I see him,” Akira said quietly as he approached the taxi.

“The timeliness is highly appreciated, especially after what Ooe tried to pull,” Akechi said in annoyance.

“You can say that again,” Morgana said.

Finally reaching the cab, Akira opened the door and got on.

“Welcome back,” Maruki greeted as Akira closed the taxi’s door. “Things go well?”

“They did,” Akira nodded, pulling at one of his gloves as he felt the taxi drive off. “So now the treasure’s as good as ours for the taking.”

“That’s great news,” Maruki nodded.

“Excellent work, Joker,” Futaba beamed. “Now head on back and get a good night’s sleep. You’re gonna need it for tomorrow.”

The Phantom Thieves were planning on sending the Calling Card and stealing the treasure the next day, so everyone needed to be fully rested before the final showdown with Ooe’s shadow.

“Will do,” Akira agreed calmly. He then smirked as he twirled a long strand of hair around his finger, knowing who’d he get back to in less than an hour. “Although Crow DID say something about not keeping him waiting… I’m actually curious as to why.”

“I could mean a lot of things, Joker,” Akechi smiled smugly at the blinking light on Futaba’s screen, a mild, flirtatious tone kicking in. “It all depends on when you get here.”

Akira arched a brow. “Oh really?”

“Guys, get a room,” Futaba shook her head.

“We will when I get back,” Akira grinned.

Futaba just groaned. “Oh my gosh, Akira. TMI.”

“Futaba, can I... ?” Morgana began to ask.

“Say no more,” Futaba beat him to it. “Mi casa es tu casa.”

Morgana sighed in relief. “Thank you.”

“You must be in luck this time around,” Maruki commented, not hearing the other side of the conversation. “There’s hardly any traffic because of the festivities. We should be back in less than an hour.”

“Perfect,” Akira commented, before talking to his earpiece. “I’ll be back soon.”

“We heard,” Morgana said. “Futaba and I are going to start heading back. See you in the morning.”

“Right, see you,” Akira said, before directing his attention to Maruki. “Dr. Maruki, we’ll be stealing Ooe’s heart tomorrow. We’ll let you know when we finish the job.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Better to do the job earlier than later, right? Especially with the new year starting.”

Akira nodded. “It may take a few days to see the actual change, but when it happens, can you check in on Shibusawa-san? He and his family should be okay by then.”

“I’ll do just that. Thanks again, Kurusu-kun.”

After this conversation, minutes passed by one by one, until the two reached the streets of Leblanc once more.

“Have a good New Year’s Eve! Well, at least what’s left of it,” Maruki beamed as Akira got out of the taxi and closed the door on his way out. “Say hello to Akechi-kun for me.”

“Of course.”

Akira then walked quickly back to the warmth of Leblanc. Opening the chiming door to the café, he saw Akechi sitting at one of the booths that was closest to the door. “Dr. Maruki says hi.”

“Akira,” Akechi started to say as he stood up to approach his rival. But it was after standing up that he felt his lips press against Akira’s without another word.

Parting briefly, Akira looked at his rival’s face, his cheeks showing a light shade of pink. “Told you I’d make it back.” Hearing the sound of the café clock strike 12:00 AM, Akira then placed his forehead against Akechi’s. “Happy New Year.”

“Happy New Year,” Akechi said back to him, his features more calm than a few hours ago. “Let’s make it a good one. Now…” He began to remove Akira’s wig with ease, revealing his rival's usual, messy hair. “Could you please get out of that damned outfit already?”

* * *

**01/01/20XX - Morning**

Guards were running amuck outside the Diet Building, their walkie talkies to their lips as they patrolled the area in a hurry. “Scout the area! Someone’s left the prime minister a Calling Card, so don’t let them get away!”

“Copy that!”

“They’ll rue the day they try to mess with our prime minister!”

Meanwhile, the Phantom Thieves were hiding behind a corner of a building that was close to the Diet Building.

“What do we do now?” Ann asked. “This place is extremely crowded.”

“The guards and Shido’s men are patrolling the area nonstop,” Futaba began to answer, “so our best bet is to create a diversion so that we can get close enough to the Metaverse’s Palace without getting caught.”

“If we only need a distraction… then I have a plan.” Akira turns to Akechi with a smirk. “Does the offer of being your stunt double still stand?”

Akechi wore an exasperated look on his face. “Are you serious right now?”

“You said we were not that different in height. Plus, we need to distract them if we want to get in without any problems, so having “you” running around is only going to drive their attention away from their current issue.” He then looked at everyone on the team. “After I run off, activate the MetaNav and head on in. I’ll get in right after making my escape.”

“Akira, the chances of you getting caught is extremely high.” Akechi was still not buying it.

“He’s our best shot of getting in unseen,” Morgana urged Akechi to consider. “We need to consider this as a possible option, especially since you’ve been a target to Shido’s men for the past few years.”

“He’s right,” Makoto agreed. “It’s a long shot... but it’s one of our best options so far.”

“And with my monitoring, he shouldn’t have any mishaps,” Futaba added on.

“It’ll be fine,” Akira reassured his rival. “I’ll catch up to you guys before you know it.”

“All right,” Akechi yielded, knowing that Akira won’t back down so easily from this. “But DON’T get caught.”

“They don’t call me the leader of the Phantom Thieves for nothing,” Akira answered back smugly.

* * *

**01/01/20XX - Afternoon**

After an hour or so of wig shopping and going back to Leblanc to change, the team was back at their previous hiding spot. But there was only one difference: the two rivals were now double-gangers of each other.

“Good thing you dyed your hair,” Akira grinned at his messy-haired rival.

Akechi just looked annoyed. “And here I thought I’d never do THIS again. Let’s just get on with it already so we can get this done.”

With a unanimous nod, the Phantom Thieves proceeded with their plan. As everyone hid behind the current building’s corner, Akira began to walk calmly across the area. And it didn’t take long for Shido’s men to spot him.

“Isn’t that Akechi-san?”

“Akechi-san?!”

“Hurry, before he gets away!”

Noticing the shouts, Akira began to sprint, Shido’s men right on his tail.

“After him!”

“Shido wants him alive!”

“Guards, this has top priority, so change course now!”

Having said this, now both the guards and Shido’s men were restlessly hunting Akechi’s stunt double, who was now bolting away at high speed. Akira’s main goal was to run to the back of the Diet Building as quickly as he could. That way, the others could go to the Palace undetected, while he used the app behind the Diet Building to make his great escape.

Making a few turns around the area and keeping his ears peeled for Futaba’s directions, Akira managed to reach the back of the Diet Building while keeping Shido’s men and guards at a reasonable distance. And this distance was enough for him to vanish into thin air and not raise any suspicions.

“Everyone’s inside the Palace now,” Oracle announced. “And you’re just behind the Diet Building, so go for it!”

“Got it,” Akira agreed, before activating the MetaNav.

Oracle then blinked in surprise as she saw her readings. “Huh? Joker, hold on! There’s something—”

Joker, already in the Palace, held his hand to his earpiece. “Oracle?”

But all he heard was static, as if the signal was being affected by some source. It was then that Joker noticed his surroundings: he was inside a prison cell. And at the cell’s entrance there was a guard, along with a man who wore an expensive coat and, from head to toe, some jeweled accessories.

And this man was no henchmen: he was the shadow version of Ooe. “Welcome to my estate, Phantom Thief.”

  
  



	30. And I’ll be looking forward to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**01/01/20XX - Afternoon**

“Feeling more “jailed” than welcome,” Joker answered smugly as he stared Ooe down.

The shadow ruler just chuckled. “All befitting an infamous thief.” He then raised a brow in curiosity. “Say, you look a lot like this one bitch who stood me up. She’s quite the looker.”

“I bet she is,” Joker calmly shoved his hands into his pockets. “Though it looks like she has better morals than you.”

“What did you say, punk?!”

Just then, a guard came rushing over to his ruler and co-worker. “Boss, the prisoner brought backup! We saw some uninvited guests running into the mansion!”

“What?!” Ooe turned briskly at the arriving guard. “Take me back to my prized possession, now! I must stop them from taking my treasure even if it’s the last thing I do!” He then turned to the other guard with gritted teeth. “Do whatever you please with this brat.”

The guard gave a sly smile. “Gladly.” Ooe then ran off with the other guard, making haste to his chambers, before the remaining guard scanned him up and down with a calculating glance. “Now, what should I do with you?”

“How about you do nothing at all?”

And in a blink of an eye, the guard had his lights knocked out by none other than the Black Mask himself. With a smirk, Crow crouched down and took the key from the knocked-out guard’s pockets. Once he rose up, he then began to twirl the key’s connected hoop around his index finger. “Well, look who’s all locked up.”

Joker approached the barred door leisurely. “In my defense, this place was unexpected, even for Oracle.”

“I noticed,” Crow unlocked the cage and opened the cell’s door. “Apparently Ooe’s shadow is more than capable of creating any building he chooses on the spot. And that includes this prison.”

“Looks like he’ll do whatever it takes to get what he wants.” Joker stepped out of his temporary prison. “But that ends today.”

“Well said,” Crow nodded. “Now let’s go meet the others and finish what we started.”

“Right.”

The two rivals then began to sprint across the prison’s numerous hallways, making twists and turns as they went along the dimly lit building at a fast pace.

“So I heard the others were entering the mansion?” Joker asked as he ran, following Crow’s lead.

“After Oracle discovered Ooe’s new prison and found out that our notorious leader was trapped inside, we decided that someone needed to break you out. So while everyone else went inside the mansion to prepare for the final battle, I went into the prison to save you.”

“And you did it alone so that it’d be less suspicious?”

“Exactly.”

Just as he uttered these words, they noticed that, between them and the entrance, there was a huge gap. They stopped right in front of it and looked down. It was a deep, endless abyss.

“That wasn’t there when I got here,” Crow observed. “Seems to me that Ooe doesn’t want anyone to escape so easily.”

Looking around, Joker noticed a ledge that he could craftily use. He smirked at his discovery. “How about we use a grappling hook to get out?”

Crow laughed, sarcasm in his voice as he saw Joker hook his grappling hook onto the far-off ledge. “Let me guess: You’re going to make me cling to you as you “heroically” swing across the gap.”

With a swift motion of his free arm, Joker snaked an arm around Crow’s waist. “You said it, not me.” Just as he jumped down the gap, Crow instinctively wrapped his arms around Joker’s neck as he felt the impulse of the grappling hook swing them down and across the gap. Landing on the other side, Crow was about to let go, but Joker moved the arm that was around his waist to grab one of his arms. Having Crow closer for a few extra seconds, Joker chastely kissed his mask before letting him go once more. “Sorry, couldn’t help myself.”

“Save that for after we steal the treasure,” Crow looked at his rival in an unamused manner, despite the pink hue forming behind his mask.

Joker smiled playfully. “Sounds promising.”

They then continued to bolt through what seemed to be the estate’s outer garden. But then they stopped at the first turn, seeing another gap right before their eyes, as well as a huge tree to the side with long branches. Crow then got closer to Joker with a sigh, the distance between them being less than an arm’s length. “Just make it quick.”

“I know you like it, Crow,” Joker teased, before he hooked the grappling hook to the branch in front of them, grabbed Crow by the waist, and swung across the next gap with Crow’s arms clinging onto him once more.

Reaching the other side, they let go of each other. And Crow was eyeing Joker with a glare. “No comment. Now let’s keep going.”

Continuing with their run, Joker couldn’t help but smirk. “You sure you can keep up the pace?”

Crow just scoffed a knowing laugh. “Please, I should be asking YOU that.”

Making a final turn, the mansion was just close by. But, in the distance, they noticed that there were yet another two gaps: one that was reaching the mansion and another one that was right between the mansion’s entrance and the main outer fountain. And as they got closer, they noticed another two grappling hook points: another tree branch and the main door’s frame.

Eyeing his targets, Joker smirked. “Then how about we put that to the test?”

Crow caught on right away as he locked eyes on the targets as well, a laugh escaping his lips. “This is child’s play.”

Approaching their third gap, they didn’t stop running. Instead, as Joker hooked onto the branch, the two rivals held onto each other at the same time, which was seconds before gravity took them. With an arm around Crow’s waist and a pair of arms around Joker’s neck, the two swung across the gap and landed on the other side. But their movements didn’t stop: they kept running the moment their feet touched the ground.

As they reached the fourth gap, Crow got an idea that made him smile ever so smugly. “How about we try something that requires more trust?”

Joker returned his smile with a smirk of his own. “I’m all for it.”

When Joker launched his hook, grabbed onto the main door’s frame and jumped, Crow had gripped onto Joker’s free forearm and swung down with him. With a tight grip to make sure Crow didn’t slip from his grasp, Joker held onto his rival as they went across the gap. But just as they reached the other side, Joker pushed himself to swing his arm forward, making Crow fly upward as he let go. Landing inside of the mansion with style, Joker looked to where he flung Crow, only to see his rival doing a flip before flawlessly landing a few feet in front of him.

Locking eyes with each other, Crow nodded approvingly. “Not bad.”

“Likewise,” Joker answered back.

It was then that the two heard their Navi’s voice coming from the challenge room. She was currently peaking at them from the golden archway, her eyes glistening with amazement. “Wow, now that’s what I call a superhero landing! Ten outta ten!”

“It’s good to see you’re both alright,” Fox added on as the two rivals regrouped with the other Phantom Thieves.

“Were you all waiting too long?” Joker asked the others.

“Not really, we just got in a while ago,” Panther answered.

“And at least we got here on time,” Queen said with a sigh. “Otherwise, we would have had a problem with the gap that’s right outside.”

“Ooe just doesn’t want us anywhere near his treasure,” Mona commented. “But I believe his plan is as good as ruined. Joker, everyone here is more than prepared for the upcoming battle, so whenever you’re ready.”

Joker affirmed with a nod. “It’s showtime.”

Full of determination, the team went running up the trial area’s staircases and towards Ooe’s chambers, sneaking past any shadow they came across along the way. Already at the chamber’s floor, the group ran towards the now opened door that led to the treasure. And as expected, Shadow Ooe was waiting for them. He was now in front of what seemed to be a large pedestal, which had a shiny, big diamond on top.

“Well if it isn’t the rest of the Phantom Thieves,” the Palace Ruler glared at the team. “I’m impressed that you actually managed to free one of your comrades. But no matter… I’ll eliminate each and every one of you either way.”

“If our leader could escape so easily, then you’re in for a rough time,” Mona stared Shadow Ooe down.

“The show’s over for you, Ooe,” Joker declared.

But Ooe’s shadow just laughed. “The leader? Now that’s just disappointing. And as for the show… It’s just getting started!” With a snap of his fingers, the ground started to shake. And seconds later, a large, three-headed dog dropped down from the ceiling to face them, its dazzling collar shining brightly due to its bedazzled gemstones. “Cerberus, eliminate these vermin!”

“He keeps a dog cage on his roof? What the hell is his deal?” Skull exclaimed in shock.

“No time to ask questions,” Queen interrupted. “We need to take that dog down if we want to get to Ooe.”

“Right ahead of you,” Joker said. “Crow, Violet, Fox, let’s go!”

With a unanimous agreement, the Joker and the three other team members faced the growling hellhound. As a starting attack, Cerberus howled loudly, causing Violet to widen her eyes and shake in her boots. Then the hound took this chance to pounce on the entire team, but this attack only hit Joker and Fox.

“W-What is this?” Violet asked in a shaky voice as she stood up. “This is too scary…”

“Careful with Cerberus’s howls. Looks like they can induce fear,” Oracle announced.

“And he really packs a punch,” Joker commented, rubbing his arm before adjusting his battle stance. 

“Then let’s teach this mutt a lesson. Hereward!” Calling to his Persona, Crow used Rebellion Blade. But, to his surprise, little to no damage was dealt. “It hardly did anything?”

“Let me try. Gorokichi!” Fox then used his Persona’s Bufudyne skill, which managed to knock down the enemy. However, even after their All-Out Attack, the hellhound lost hardly any health. And even Joker’s dagger hardly did anything when he went to deal some damage.

“Something’s up with this dog!” Oracle shouted to the team. “Your attacks should be reaching him but for some… Hold on! I’m getting weird readings from his collar.”

“Then let’s cut it off him,” Joker concluded, before turning his head to the backup team members. “Mona, you’re up!”

“I’m on it!” With that said, Mona began running stealthily across the room without the opposing team noticing. And it apparently worked, since Cerberus focused on his pouncing attack instead. It managed to not hit anyone on the team, but its second attack caught them by surprise: the dog had engulfed the whole area in a fiery blaze. The attack hit everyone on the team, and even managed to knock down Fox. Taking this chance to deal more damage, Cerberus decided to pounce on everyone again while the room was still burning. The attack, however, only affected Crow and Fox.

Lucky for them, Violet's attitude towards their enemy shifted greatly, her bravery coming back to her. “Time to make this count!” She then called upon her Persona, which then led her to using Ella’s Kougaon skill. And once again, Cerberus was knocked down, aiding the team in their second All-Out Attack. But the amount of damage they gave was extremely small.

“Here goes nothing,” Mona shouted in the distance. Looking up, Joker noticed that his teammate was dangling on the ceiling’s barred dog door. And observing the direction Mona had gone earlier, the leader concluded that Mona had climbed up some different sized objects across the room, such as display stands, painting frames, and wardrobes, before reaching the ceiling.

With a bit of a swing, Mona threw himself at the hellhound with his sword at hand. And with a swift motion of his blade, he managed to cut the collar right off Cerberus.

“Way to go, Mona-chan!” Noir shouted enthusiastically as she saw Mona come back to the rest of the backup team.

“It was a piece of cake,” Mona beamed, before turning to the fighting team. “Now finish him up!”

As if on cue, Crow used Hereward’s Rebellion Blade skill once more, and this time it landed a giant blow on Cerberus. “Gladly.”

Fox then used Gorokichi’s Bufudyne skill and managed to knock down the hound once again. And it was after the team performed their All-Out Attack that the dog was low on health, given how it struggled to stand.

“Time to end this,” Joker said, taking out his gun and stylishly using his Down Shot skill to shoot the enemy to the ground. And with a final All-Out Attack, Cerberus collapsed and lost consciousness.

“Cerberus, I command you to stand!” Ooe shouted at the top of his lungs. “Cerberus!”

“Seems like you're out of luck, Ooe,” Crow said with a sneer.

“Bullshit! I can have anything I want and need when I’m in power! And that includes bringing back my hellhound and increasing my good luck.”

“You can’t just get anything you want, the world doesn’t work like that!” Mona exclaimed at him. “What you need is a reality check.”

Joker then casually pulled at one of his gloves. “I think he also needs something else: proper punishment.”

That being said, the main team dealt a round of melee attacks before Shadow Ooe was finally defeated.

Walking over to the pedestal, Joker grabbed Ooe’s treasure. He then went back to the team before facing Ooe, who was now kneeling on the ground. “We’ll be taking this now.”

“Hold on, please! That’s my most prized possession!” He pleaded, looking up at the thieves. “You can’t just take it!”

“We sure can,” Oracle stated. “Just watch us.”

“Please…” Ooe’s tears began to flow. “If I change my mentality now, Shido-san will be disappointed in me!”

Crow just scoffed a derogatory laugh. “That excuse of a man only cares about himself, so why would he worry about a mere pawn?”

“Lies, all lies! I am his successor! His men told me that he—”

“I’m going to stop you right there,” Crow interrupted in an icy tone. “Ever since Shido had a change of heart, it was made clear that he had no intention of continuing his type of governance. If anyone, it was his former allies who wanted to continue his work. So you're just a mere pawn in their messed up plans to rule the country.”

“Impossible… That can’t be! It can’t...” Ooe then broke down into a sob, his hands covering his face.

“Then answer this,” Crow went on, “has Shido contacted you at all in the last few months?”

Blinking a couple of times through his tears, Ooe began to think. “... He… He hasn’t.”

“My point exactly,” Crow rested his case. Turning his back on Ooe, he suddenly felt the ground shake. “We’re done here, correct? Let’s just go.”

* * *

**01/05/20XX - Evening**

“Who would have thought our prime minister would confess to all these crimes as a New Year’s resolution!” The male talk show host said in shock. “And seeing him step down from office less than a month AFTER the election? We need to find a new prime minister to start the new year!“

“And who would have expected so many arrests in the last few days?” The female talk show host added on. “After Shido’s sudden change of heart, no one expected his men to be walking about so freely and under such command! Truly shocking! Who do you think will step up and…?”

“And that’s that,” Mona nodded, tapping at the autographed piece of paper that was once a glistening diamond. “No more Ooe, no more Shido, no more danger. And a few days before you guys have to head back.”

The Phantom Thieves had discussed their departure day to be January 7th, since that would give them enough time to get ready for classes once again. So finishing up the situation with Ooe on the 5th was rather quick on their end.

“Finally!” Ann beamed. “Didn’t expect politicians to be such a hassle.”

“And Dr. Maruki just texted me.” Akira lifted up his phone for the others to see. “He said he managed to get a hold of Shibusawa-san. And it looks like his family is safe.”

“What a relief,” Haru said.

“I have to say, it’s a good thing that you two were together at the time,” Makoto acknowledged. “Otherwise, we wouldn’t have finished everything so quickly. Shibusawa, his family, and even Akechi-kun would have been subject to more serious danger.”

“I’ll say!” Ryuji nodded. “But man, never would have guessed you’d be spending Christmas Eve with Akechi.”

“What, you expected something else?” Akira asked curiously.

“Well yeah,” Ryuji answered matter-of-factly. “Isn’t that a day for family and couples to get together? I would have thought you’d be with some cute, mystery girl or something.”

Akechi locked eyes with Akira, before looking at their confused team member. “Sakamoto, did it ever cross your mind that perhaps Akira and I are indeed a couple?”

Silence swept the room as almost everyone processed the information. It was Ryuji who, after blinking twice, showed a pair of widened eyes. “Wait for real?!”

“So that’s why you’ve been awfully close lately! I’m so happy for you two!” Ann smiled at the two rivals. “I have to say, I kinda expected this to happen sooner or later.”

“When did you guys get together?” Haru asked.

“We actually started seeing each other around the time we decided to move in together,” Akira answered.

“So before the middle of August?” Makoto asked amusedly.

Akechi nodded. “That sounds about right.”

Yusuke looked over to Futaba, Morgana, and Sumire. “You three don’t seem surprised.”

“I-I actually found out around mid-August,” Sumire confessed sheepishly.

“And I called it the moment they amped up their flirting,” Futaba explained. “Hell, even Ann saw it coming for a while and she told me about her hunch a while back.”

“Honestly, same here,” Morgana said, not saying when he found out. He didn’t want anyone glaring daggers at him in the middle of the day.

It was then that Akira’s phone began to chime, signaling the arrival of a new message. Unlocking his phone and checking who had sent the message, Akira smiled.

_Yoshida: I hope you’re doing well, Kurusu-kun. I take it you’ve seen the recent news?_

Akira then began to reply to his back-to-back messages as he heard Ann mention how cute the two rivals were together. He even caught Haru passive-aggressively telling Akechi that, if he hurt Akira in any way, he would very much regret it.

_Akira: Sure did._

_Yoshida: I wonder what made Ooe-san step down from office so suddenly… You wouldn’t happen to know what happened, would you? Perhaps a change of heart?_

_Akira: You caught us._

_Yoshida: Haha, I figured as much. The man was pushing the same ideals as Shido-san. And to be frank, the country wouldn’t have appreciated such a rule. The country needs someone that is the complete opposite of Ooe-san and Shido-san. Which is my next reason for contacting you: elections will be redone due to Ooe-san’s last-minute resignation, and I’m planning on running for head of office._

_Akira: You have my support._

_Yoshida: Thank you. Your support always means volumes, especially after all the help you gave me way back when. I promise to give it my all._

After reading this last message, Akira looked up from his phone. “Looks like Yoshida-san is running for office.”

“You mean the politician, right?” Morgana asked as he got a closer look at their leader’s phone. “If he wins, the country should be in good hands.”

“Yeah.”

“And with Shido’s goons locked away, everyone will feel safer,” Makoto added on.

“Agreed,” Akechi nodded, before showing a determined look on his face. “... Then I believe I should start what I was planning on doing less than two years ago.”

“Huh?” Ann blinked, confused.

“What are you talking about?” Sumire asked, not knowing what was going on either.

But Akira knew exactly what he was referring to. “You’re planning on turning yourself in, aren’t you?”

Akechi just looked straight at his rival, his gaze unwavering. But Akira could tell there was a hint of melancholy to them. “I am. I need to atone for what I’ve done, and Shido’s men hunting me down was but a troublesome obstacle that prevented me from safely doing so.”

“Akechi…” Ryuji said, feeling that the situation itself was rather glum.

Yet, despite the mood in the room, Haru spoke up. “We’ll support you, then.”

“Right,” Yusuke affirmed. “It’s true that you’re a valuable asset to our team.”

“But above that, you’re our friend,” Morgana nodded. “So you can count on us to stand by you and be supportive of your choices.”

“No doubt about it!” Ann agreed, followed by a couple of other nods.

These sudden responses made Akechi chuckle. “You’re all incomprehensible fools. But despite that... the sentiment is well received.”

“We’ll be doing Phantom Thief business every now and then, so whenever you get out, feel free to come back and pitch in,” Futaba mentioned.

“I was actually thinking of doing so,” Akechi confessed to their Navi, “considering how Akira and I have a deal to uphold.”

“Then it’s settled,” Morgana said, concluding their current discussion.

They then held a final discussion to decide when to meet that year once again. They agreed to make their Mementos trips a yearly routine: every year during summer and winter breaks, they’d all get together and go search for Mementos targets together. And with that discussion closed, it was time for the Phantom Thieves to part ways for the day.

As the team was leaving, Akira looked to Morgana, who had descended to the floor a few seconds later. “Mind stepping out for a bit?”

“Of course,” Morgana said, before following Akira to the door. Right when Akira opened the café’s front door, Morgana walked out. But his feline friend looked up to his friend with a frown. “... You gonna be okay?”

Akira nodded, giving a reassuring smile. “Yeah, don’t worry.” And with that said, he closed the door.

It was then that Akechi began to stand up from his seat. “I’ll be leaving first thing in the morning.”

Turning to his rival, Akira had a saddened expression. “Goro…”

Knowing he couldn’t let himself get affected by his rival’s emotions, he looked away from him with crossed arms. “You know I need to do this.”

With a sigh, Akira approached him until they were at arm’s length from each other. “I may not like it… But if that’s the path you want to choose, I won’t stop you.” He then extended his hands towards him, taking a few steps closer and pulling him into an embrace. 

Leaning into Akira’s touch, Akechi returned the gesture, a hand running across his messy hair. “Given that the police won’t find any evidence of the Metaverse and how it connects to the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns, my sentence should be lessened to at least half. So instead of 50 months, I may have to serve time for 25. And as far as coursework and classes go, I’ll be taking a two year leave. I can then catch up when I get released.”

Akira’s hug just tightened as he heard the amount of time they’ll potentially be apart. “I’ll visit whenever I can.”

Shaking his head, Akechi gave a light laugh. “Fool, focus on your studies instead.”

“Let me at least visit you during long breaks.” Akira began to soothingly rub his rival’s back. “At least once or twice per break.”

Akechi could only hold his tongue, knowing that Akira wouldn’t back down so easily if he tried to form an argument as to why he shouldn’t visit him. So the best thing he could do at the moment was let his rival choose what to do on his own path. “... As long as this doesn’t jeopardize your future.”

“You’re part of my future, so that’s not going to happen.”

“You know what I mean, Akira.”

“Yeah.” Akira distanced himself enough to lay his forehead on his rival’s. “I know.”

Sighing under his breath, Akechi kissed the corner of his lips. “I’ll be out before you know it. You can count on that.”

Akira smiled fondly at him, knowing that if he could unknowingly wait to meet his rival for almost a year and a half, he could manage two years. After all, his boyfriend and rival was always worth the wait in his eyes. “And I’ll be looking forward to it.” He then hugged him close once more, his head snuggled into the crook of his neck. “I’ll miss you.”

Resting his head on his shoulder and holding him tight, Akechi felt himself smile. “... I’ll miss you, too.”


	31. We've been through quite a lot, huh?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**04/01/20XX - Night**

Hearing his ringing phone in the middle of a busy school night, Akira picked it up from his desk. He found it strange that it was an unknown number. “... Hello?”

“Akira?”

“Goro.” His rival froze, doing a double-take to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. He was glad that his rival chose the name Kogoro in prison, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to say his name so freely. “Is that really you?”

“The one and only.”

Chuckling at the response, Akira leaned back on his seat. “To what do I owe the pleasure of you calling at this time at night?”

“... I just wanted to talk,” Akechi said blatantly.

Akira raised a brow. “About?”

“Anything.”

“That’s a broad selection. You wanna narrow it down?”

“I’ll leave that up to you.”

Knowing this was going to be a long call, Akira began to twirl his pencil around his fingers. “Is it really THAT boring over there?”

Hearing his boyfriend sigh over the phone said it all. “Mostly, since it's usually the same schedule every week. But it’s manageable.”

“I see.” Akira began to think, and less than a minute later he got an idea. “Then how about a game?”

“A game?” Akechi sounded intrigued.

And that was Akira’s main goal. “Yeah. We choose a theme, and from there, we go back and forth mentioning words that belong in that theme. If any of us repeats a word or can’t come up with another word, they lose the round.”

Akechi just scoffed a laugh. “Too easy. Shall we start with a philosophers theme?”

“Let’s do it.”

* * *

**06/02/20XX - Afternoon**

“Hey, Goro.” Akira felt himself smile as he sat across from his rival at a metal table. He was currently visiting Akechi after several months of school. And since he was on break, he went over to visit him. But that wasn’t the only reason: it was Akechi’s birthday.   


As a calm expression formed on his face, Akechi smiled back. “It’s been a while, Akira.”

“I see you’re getting our old hair color back.”

“Slowly but surely,” his rival held a strand at his fingertips. His hair was going from black to brown once more, and the change was fairly noticeable: at least part of his scalp was completely brown. “At least other people don’t question it when I go to cut off some of the black parts.”

“Hey, your hair, your business.”

Akechi chuckled. “Fair point. So... I see you’re on break.”

“Yep, and I’m keeping my promises.”

“As always,” Akechi nodded approvingly. “Though given the time, I would have assumed you’d be holding your usual meeting.”

Akira shook his head. “We moved it to the evening for today. Can’t have an afternoon meeting when the leader is busy with other plans.”

“So it seems,” Akechi said, before they started talking about their daily lives, whether that be college or prison. They even got into a debate on best darts strategies to complete a 701 game in fewer moves per turn.

About thirty minutes later, the guard spoke up, regardless of the debate’s progress and intensity. “You two gonna have to wrap it up.”

Akira sighed. “Looks like my time is up. And I wanted to talk to you more.”

“There’s always next time.”

“Yeah,” Akira nodded, before looking back at the guard. “Oh, excuse me? Can I ask you a quick question? I know this isn’t juvenile prison but is there a line for physical contact here?”

Akechi raised an amused brow as he heard Akira ask the guard.

“As long as it's brief,” the guard stated, not giving a care in the world.

“Got it.”

Standing up, Akira approached his rival, who was also rising from his seat.

“Insufferable as always,” Akechi smirked, seeing Akira already in front of him.

“You know me so well.” His rival then wrapped his arms around him, planting a kiss on his cheek as he felt Akechi’s arms following suit. “Happy Birthday, Goro.”

”Thanks,” Akechi let go of his rival, an honest smile on his face. “I’m guessing you’ll be coming back in a few months.”

“Obviously,” Akira gave him a soft smile.

His rival just chuckled. “Then I’ll see you soon.”

* * *

**08/03/20XX - Afternoon**

“Someone used their visits nicely.” Akechi crossed his legs as he saw his rival sit across from him yet again.

“Hey, your birthday and our anniversary are very important dates for me,” Akira pointed out matter-of-factly.

But his rival just looked at him with a smug look on his face. “What about YOUR birthday?”

Blinking in surprise, Akira placed a hand to his chin. He couldn’t visit Akechi twice in one month: the prison wouldn’t allow it. “Oh shit, you’re right...”

“Don’t worry,” Akechi shook his head. “I might even give you a surprise call by then.”

Akira grinned at the solution to his prayers. Akechi didn’t call him at the start of the month, and Akira found it a bit odd, since his rival would usually use his monthly call in a timely manner. So this cleared things up for him. “So it’s a promise?”

Smiling, Akechi nodded. “One-hundred percent.”

* * *

**02/14/20XX - Afternoon**

“Quite the time to get discharged,” the guard said as he walked with Akechi towards the prison’s entrance, 25 months finally paying off. “I’m guessing you’ve got plans with someone?”

“That’s none of your business,” Akechi glared, tying up his natural-colored hair into a ponytail. He then adjusted the bag on his shoulder a bit, making sure it stayed in place.

Reaching the main entrance, the guard opened the door, revealing the street outside the prison, as well as a car parked right outside. Akira had told him he’d pick him up in his new car, after all. “Fair enough. Enjoy being a free man.”

With a silent nod, Akechi went through the door, and once he was out, the same door closed behind him. He then walked over to the car and got on the passenger's seat. “I hope you weren’t waiting too long.”

“Nah,” Akira said as he saw his rival close the door behind him. He then drove off. “I already waited for around two years. I think I could manage a few more minutes.”

“Someone’s patient.”

“Eh, you could say that,” Akira shrugged, his eyes on the road. “You ready to hit the books again?”

Akechi felt himself groan. “Don’t remind me.”

Chuckling slightly, Akira kept on driving, all the while listening to the radio’s tunes.

His rival suddenly noticed the swing of the music he was currently hearing. “Since I’m out, we should hit the jazz club at some point. After all, it’s better to listen to the singer live.”

“We can go today,” Akira suggested, making a turn. “It IS Valentine’s Day.”

“Unfortunately, I really need to start catching up when I get back. And I’m pretty sure YOU have homework.”

“Guilty,” Akira raised a hand with a laugh, before placing it back on the wheel again. “How about we improvise this time around? We can have a nice dinner at home as a break?”

“Sounds like a reasonable plan,” Akechi acknowledged, before suddenly feeling a hand grab his own, its thumb rubbing the back of his hand.

“Then it’s settled,” Akira smiled, glancing at his rival before returning his focus on the road. But this glance was long enough to notice Akechi smiling back at him.

* * *

“It’s good to be home.“ Finally arriving at their apartment, Akechi placed his bag down next to the sofa. He then turned around to face his rival. “Akira—”

But he was interrupted, for a pair of arms brought him into an embrace, He then felt Akira’s head nuzzle into the crook of his neck. “I’ve been waiting to do this for so long…”

Resting his chin against his rival’s shoulder, Akechi hummed in agreement, wrapping his arms around him. “We’ve hugged every time you came to visit me, Akira.”

“But now I don’t have a time limit.”

“Sap.” Despite saying this, Akechi gave him a light squeeze. He then looked around the apartment room. “Where’s Morgana?”

“Oh,” Akira said in surprise, feeling that he had forgotten to mention something. He very much did. “I told him we’d probably want some time alone when you got back, given the day. He’ll probably be back later tonight.”

“Seems rather convenient.” He then let go of Akira, who followed suit. “But for right now, I believe we should start doing our work, wouldn’t you agree?”

Akira nodded enthusiastically. “Let’s get to it.”

* * *

**02/14/20XX - Evening**

“How’s it going?” Akira asked, placing a hand on Akechi's chair and kissing the back of his exposed neck. “Managing?”

“For the most part,” his rival answered, his eyes never leaving his laptop’s screen as he typed away. He ignored the pale shade of pink on his cheeks as he finished typing up one last sentence. “I should be able to finish up by the weekend. But it’s a start.”

“That’s good to hear,” Akira smiled. “You wanna take that break? It’s been a few hours and I’m already halfway through my work.”

Akechi stretched his arms forward. “Fine. But we’re only having thirty minutes to an hour.”

“Perfect.” Akira saw as Akechi stood up from his chair. And just as Akechi turned to face him, Akira had taken out a red and black card out of his pockets and extended it to him. It even had the Phantom Thieves’ logo on it. “But first, this is for you.”

“A calling card?” His rival questioned, taking the card and examining front and back. “Akira, I don’t have a palace nor do I have a treasure for you to steal.”

Akira just placed a hand to his hip. “Just read it.”

That being said, Akechi began to read it without further delay.

_ Paraphrasing Hegel… _

_ Love is the distinction of two beings who are also similar to each other. Being aware of each other’s thoughts and feelings, as well as who they are, is indeed love. _

_ We keep each other in our thoughts, and we are content and at peace within ourselves whenever we’re together. If we were not at peace, then that would be a contradiction within itself. _

_ We are present in each other’s lives and mind, all the while exposing ourselves bare to each other and disregarding what identifies us. And, in the end, we feel an intuition, a feeling, and even some knowledge of our connection. _

_ This simple idea is love. And by knowing how love is both the distinction’s assimilation and the distinction itself, one can address the idea without making it lack in its eternal meaning. _

“Another love confession?” Akechi raised a brow at his rival.

“What? Too cheesy?”

“Very. I expected as much, especially today. Wait here.” Akechi then went to their bedroom for a few seconds, before coming back with a folded card in his hand himself. He then extended the card to him. “Ironically enough, I would like to paraphrase Hegel myself.”

Akira took the card and opened it. There was a dried rose bookmark, along with a message.

_ Great things can be accomplished, as long as you have the passion to do them. _

_ From, _

_ The thesis to your antithesis _

“It might be short, but it speaks great volumes,” Akechi clarified.

“It really does,” Akira nodded, smiling. “We've been through quite a lot, huh?”

Between getting to know each other eagerly through hangouts, working together for a common goal during missions, and trying to open up to each other more, Akira can conclude that all of that was done willingly. And he knew this desire to draw each other closer was led by another factor: passion. Their connection was peculiar and thought-provoking, but it was never half-assed. Hence why their relationship turned out as it did: they ended up understanding each other greatly, their teamwork in missions is usually synchronized and without fault, and they’re more open to each other than when they first met. In the end, they accomplished something great. And it was all thanks to the passion they had when pursuing each other.

Akechi smiled smugly back at him. “Hence why I paraphrased such a particular quote.”

“It’s a really good one. I’m still impressed that you were actually ready for today. You literally got discharged a few hours ago.”

“I had this card ready before I turned myself in. I knew I’d be released around this time, so I thought some preparations would be in order.” His rival smirked knowingly. “But seriously, to think the leader of the Phantom Thieves would try to steal the heart of someone whose heart was already stolen to begin with.” It was then that he felt an arm snake behind him. And before he knew it, his face was being showered with kisses, not excluding anything in sight. He tried to distance his face from him, but to no avail. “H-hey!”

Akira couldn’t contain his laughter as he placed his forehead on Akechi’s. “Didn’t you say you needed to be careful with what you say around me, Goro?”

“Indeed I did,” his rival admitted with a knowing glance. “Though to be blunt, your surprises pique my curiosity even more.”

“If that’s the case, how about we make dinner,” Akira went on, placing a hand to his rival’s cheek and rubbing a thumb across it, “and then have some dessert?”

“AFTER dinner, we need to continue with our work,” Akechi stated matter-of-factly, not bothering to remove himself from Akira’s grasp.

His rival frowned with a puppy dog look on his face. “Can we at least cuddle for a bit?”

Akechi placed a hand to his face with a sigh. “I’m amazed that your corniness knows no bounds.” He then lowered his hand to look at his boyfriend properly, his gaze unwavering. “... But I believe we should move our discussion about dessert for after we finish a good portion of our work. Let’s consider it a reward for our efforts. Sound promising enough?”

With a nod, Akira grinned. “As always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! We're closing in on the last few chapters>.<
> 
> Also, here are Hegel's quotes in case anyone's interested:)
> 
> “When we say, "God is love," we are saying something very great and true. But it would be senseless to grasp this saying in a simple-minded way as a simple definition, without analyzing what love is. For love is a distinguishing of two, who nevertheless are absolutely not distinguished for each other. The consciousness or feeling of the identity of the two - to be outside of myself and in the other - this is love. I have my self-consciousness not in myself but in the other. I am satisfied and have peace with myself only in this other - and I am only because I have peace with myself; if I did not have it, then I would be a contradiction that falls to pieces. This other, because it likewise exists outside itself, has its self-consciousness only in me, and both the other and I are only this consciousness of being-outside-ourselves and of our identity; we are only this intuition, feeling, and knowledge of our unity. This is love, and without knowing that love is both a distinguishing and the sublation of the distinction, one speaks emptily of it. This is the simple, eternal idea.”  
> ― Hegel, G. W. H.
> 
> “Nothing great in the world was accomplished without passion.”  
> ― Hegel, G. W. H.


	32. It isn’t small potatoes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**06/02/20XX - Afternoon**

_Haru: Akira-kun, Mona-chan asks if you have his leftover sushi._

_Ryuji: Sushi?_

_Yusuke: I didn’t take you to have such an expensive taste in food, Akira._

_Futaba: Let me guess: you were taking the birthday boy out to lunch, right?_

_Akira: Spot on._

_Sumire: Wait, Futaba, how did you…?_

_Makoto: You used your bugs again, didn’t you?_

_Futaba: Hehehe guilty:)_

_Akira: I knew it._

_Futaba: Hey, it also adds on to why you moved today’s meeting to earlier in the morning._

_Akira: What can I say? I wanted to treat the bf to lunch on his special day:)_

_Ann: OMG you guys are too cute <3 _

_Akechi: And here I thought it was rude to invade other people’s privacy. As for sushi, tell Morgana we have his share._

“At least she decided to turn them off at night,” Akira pointed out to his rival as they walked on the sidewalk opposing Ginza’s sushi restaurant, Morgana’s share at hand. While they visited the restaurant, they tried numerous sushi rolls, and they both enjoyed each and every one of their choices. 

“I’m just as glad as you are,” Akechi nodded as he put away his phone, the feeling fairly mutual.

“So, where are we going?” Akira asked, putting his phone away as well. He had recalled Akechi asking him to go with him somewhere after their lunch came to a close. But he didn’t specify where.

“First, a flower shop that’s close by. I think it’ll be fairly obvious where we're going next once you see the flowers I’m buying,” Akechi said in a calm tone, his gaze more focused on the path in front of him.

And Akira didn’t have to ask any further once they reached the shop and Akechi picked out a bouquet of white chrysanthemums. After they left the flower shop, they went on their way to their next destination: a cemetery that was close to Shibuya. Neither of them spoke a word along the way and, for some reason, they found their silence to be necessary. It even felt comforting to them, especially to Akechi.

After passing several blocks, they arrived at the cemetery. The two rivals then began to search for a specific grave’s tombstone. And once they found the one they were looking for, Akechi took a step forward, kneeled down and placed the bouquet of flowers down in front of the grave, his face solemn and downcast. “You’re the first person I’ve ever brought here.” He then stood up, his back facing his rival. “And I usually come alone on my birthday.”

“But you’re not alone anymore.” Akira walked up to stand next to him. “I’m here.”

“I know that much,” Akechi nodded at him, a small smile on his face, before returning his gaze to his mother’s grave. “I might have been too little to remember her, but I’m sure she would have liked you.”

“It would have been an honor to meet her,” Akira replied as he looked at the tombstone, a smile reaching his lips. “I’m sure she must be happy right now, seeing that you're doing well… and seeing that you managed to find happiness in life.” He then felt Akechi’s hand grab his, their fingers intertwining together.

But despite this gesture, Akechi’s gaze never left his mother’s tombstone. “I have you to thank for that.”

And with that same, fond smile of his, Akira lightly squeezed his hand.

* * *

**06/02/20XX - Evening**

“I’ll be honest, this has been a decent day,” Akechi admitted as he and Akira got back to Leblanc.

“It gets even better,” Akira said, closing the door behind. He then took Akechi’s hand. “Follow me.”

Akechi complied as he followed Akira up to the attic, curious as to what his rival was planning. Once they got there, Akira let go of his hand and went over to a box he had placed on the attic shelf that morning. Meanwhile, Akechi sat on the sofa and crossed his legs, raising a brow towards his rival as Akira took out a large, thin cover. “Is that what I think it is?”

“Yep,” Akira nodded, taking out a large, vinyl disc from the cover and walking over to the vinyl record player that was nicely set on the table right next to the attic stairs. Akechi had questioned him on why they brought their apartment’s vinyl record player, but his rival stayed quiet about it, not wanting Akechi to discover his surprise plans.

After putting the cover down next to the player, he placed the disc onto the player and turned it on, placing the needle on the disc right after. And seconds later, a smooth and familiar song began to play.

_People come and they go..._

Akechi smiled, the tune captivating his ears in an instant. “That’s the first song we listened to at the jazz club all those years ago. I didn’t expect you to remember such a detail.”

“The Jazz Jin is our go-to place,” Akira said, casually sitting down next to his rival. “So how could I forget the first song we ever listened to together?”

They kept on listening to the next few lyrics of the song, reminiscing that memory from years back. How could they forget the first time they went to the Jazz Jin together? After that night, the two decided to make it a weekly activity. Akira didn’t even take his other friends to the jazz club. It was their spot, their place to wind down and just talk about anything. Even more so when they reconnected three years ago.

_If I am the fool or what not..._

“I have to say, this was unexpected.” Akechi placed an elbow on the couch’s arm, his hand cradling his cheek. “And I was wondering why you brought this old thing with you.”

“It was for your present. Besides…” Akira got up from his seat. “I think this will surprise you even more.”

_I do not regret with my choices I'm rather proud..._

Doing a spin, he extended a hand towards his rival. “Dance with me?”

Uncrossing his legs and straightening himself up, he gave Akira a smug look. “You sure about that?”

“As I’ll always be.”

_Because I can only be me so..._

Taking his hand, Akechi stood up. And with a smooth motion, Akira led his rival’s hand to his shoulder before holding his other hand and extending it lightly to the side. He then placed a hand on Akechi's waist, their feet moving to the music seconds after. Akira led the dance at a slow yet precise pace, making suave turns to the rhythm of the music.

“Someone’s light on their feet,” Akechi observed, their steps never wavering.

“Took a waltz class here and there back home.”

“Color me impressed.” His rival smirked. “Though, like you, I did learn a thing or two about dancing…” He moved his hand from Akira’s shoulder and placed it on his waist. “But it’s a bit different from the waltz.”

Akira moved his hand as well, placing it on his rival’s shoulder. “I think I can learn on the fly.”

“Then try to keep up.”

Akechi picked up the pace, their steps ranging between slow and fast every four counts, all the while keeping up with the song’s slow tempo.

_Someone once said burn my dread babe..._

“The tango?” Akira raised a brow in amusement. “Sounds fitting.”

“Just like the waltz fits a romantic sap like yourself.”

“Touché.”

And they continued on with their dance, Akechi leading away with his timed steps. At some point, he extended a hand to pull Akira away and to the side. But as he brought him close, Akira took the lead and placed a hand on his rival’s back. After some steps, and to Akechi’s surprise, Akira had dipped him back, smoothly bringing him back up and continuing their pending waltz.

_Music that makes me want to sing..._

“Nice transition,” Akechi acknowledged. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“I always aim to please, and that includes surprising you.” Akira spun his rival in place. “Maybe even enchant you a bit?”

_What matters most is how you bring joy to life so..._

“And here I thought I was already captivated by you,” Akechi said, hearing the last notes of the song slowly fade out before hearing a more upbeat version of the song play. As they let go of each other, Akechi felt himself hum amusedly. “That was actually fun. Though I can’t bring a vinyl record player with me everywhere.”

“I got you covered,” his rival said, walking over to the vinyl cd’s cover and taking out a smaller cover with a cd inside. He then walked over to his boyfriend and showed him the disc. “Here, in case you wanna listen to it on the go. And the two songs we’ve been listening to are not the only two songs on the cds.”

Taking it from Akira’s hand and sitting back down on the couch, Akechi eyed it back and forth. “So a full album?”

“Not just a full album: a full album of jazz,” Akira corrected, sitting next to him.

“Then it looks like my study times will be a lot more entertaining from now on,” Akechi chuckled, placing the cd on the desk next to him. “Thank you.”

“Glad you like it,” Akira smiled at him.

After a brief pause, Akechi leaned back on the couch, his gaze on the ceiling above them. “Celebrating a birthday like this is very unusual to me. Back then, I usually went to my mother’s grave, got some food, and then called it a day. Truth be told, I didn’t really see the point of celebrating, it’s just a day where I’m made aware that I lived for another year.”

Akira leaned back as well, but his gaze was on his rival’s calm face. “Well I think your life is worth celebrating.”

“Your reason being…?” Akechi’s eyes locked with his rival’s.

“It isn’t small potatoes,” Akira answered without a second thought.

Hearing such a proverb, Akechi looked at Akira in surprise, before laughing for a good second. He understood its meaning right away. And, once again, he felt that Akira had managed to captivate him once more on the same day. “You always manage to surprise me each time. Not that I’m complaining.” He then sighed, looking up at the ceiling once more. But, unlike last time, he had an honest smile on his face. “Compared to every living person in this world, you’re the only one who’s made me feel something different. And back then, it frustrated me to no end that I couldn’t figure out why I felt that way. That is, until later on.”

“There’s always been a thin line between love and hate.”

“It always seemed like a blur when it came to us.”

“Yeah, no shit, honey.” Akira laughed, which led Akechi to eyeroll in response. “There’s also a saying that goes: it’s easier to hate and harder to love.”

“That’s because bad things are easier to do, unlike good things that pose a challenge,” his rival stated matter-of-factly.

“You know I always liked a good challenge.” Akira winked.

And as a response, Akechi smirked back at him. “As do I.”

“And speaking of challenges…” Akira began to say, standing up. “Wanna watch that movie that we brought?”

“The Sherlock Holmes one?” The ex-detective sniggered. “Given the time of day, I thought you’d never ask.”

Akira then walked over to the TV and picked up the DVD box right next to it. “Better late than never. Besides, it’s still your birthday until 11:59 PM.”

Akechi nodded as he stood up. “Then let’s get watching.”

Stopping the record player’s tunes for the time being, the two began to prepare the area to watch the movie more comfortably. After Akira put the disc into the TV's DVD player, the two rivals moved the couch so that it was better aligned with the TV and for a viewing that didn’t require the rivals to keep their necks turned for an hour and a half. Once the setup was complete, the two sat back down, Akira leaning back against the sofa while Akechi sat back and leaned a bit on Akira’s shoulder with crossed arms. After pressing play, the two began to watch the movie.

After more than half of the movie played out, Akechi was more than engrossed in the film. But that was until he felt a kiss at the nape of his neck, followed by another one on his jawline. Glaring at his rival, he could undeniably feel the heat coming from his cheeks. “The movie isn’t over yet.”

“I know.” Akira kissed his cheek, and then a corner of his lips.

“And this isn’t the first time it’s happened.”

This was indeed true since, whenever they watched a movie together, Akira would give kisses to his rival here and there. But they never once stopped the movie because of these gestures of affection. They would just continue to watch the movie until the end, and only then would Akechi reciprocate with double the intensity.

“I just like showering you with affection,” Akira said, grabbing a strand of his hair and kissing it, his eyes never leaving his rival’s.  
Just as Akira was about to kiss his cheek again, Akechi moved his head to the side, making sure their lips would connect instead.

“... Five minutes,” Akechi murmured against his lips, his hand finding a place in Akira’s hair. “Then we finish watching it.”

Akira then smirked playfully at him. “How about a little game while we’re at it?”

“I’m all ears.”

“Whoever doesn’t stop at exactly five minutes is the loser.”

“That’s hardly a challenge, Akira.”

“Knowing us,” Akira went on, taking out his phone and setting its timer, before putting it away again, “we’d probably end up spending more than that.”

“Just pause the damn movie.”

And Akira did, their lips reconnecting once more just as their movie came to a pause. In this game that they played, it was clear to both of them how to win: get the other person so immersed that they’d miss the alarm going off by a few seconds. So as their kiss deepened, Akechi ran his other hand through Akira’s hair as well, tugging at it hard enough to make Akira moan and pull him closer in response. But in retaliation, Akira bit on his lower lip, breaking the kiss and darting to Akechi’s neck. And as his rival felt a sharp sting on his neck, blood rushed to his face.

Making the decision to turn the tables in his favor, Akechi grabbed Akira’s shoulders and roughly pushed him down on the sofa, their lips crashing into each other more heatedly.

Akira then got an idea. With one hand around Akechi’s waist and another one on his head, he rolled off the sofa, which managed to successfully flip them over with a thud. Despite noticing his rival glaring at him for a few seconds, Akira worked fast to hold him in place and stop him from gaining the upper hand.

However, Akechi had an even better plan. Or, to be precise, a modification to Akira’s previous plan. With another roll, Akechi was now on top of him and straddling his rival’s waist as he held both of his wrists at each side of his head, pinning him down and continuing to ravish his lips. Akechi knew he needed to turn up the heat, and that was for one main reason: he had to win. The intensity between the two of them would be enough for Akira to keep wanting more.

And Akira had the same mentality, but wanted to take an opposite approach: turning down that intensity… and maybe even tease him. Yes, he knew that Akechi loved an intense battle between them, but something more sweet and mischievous somehow managed to affect him… even more so when he lowers the intensity between them. So, as Akechi kissed him senseless, Akira did his best to move his head to the side, making his rival dart his head in the same direction to capture his lips again. But he wasn’t able to do so.

Instead, Akira swiftly turned his head to the other side and kissed the cheek that was now in front of him, before leaving a trail of pecks on his jawline. And this path went from his chin to his earlobe, which he managed to nibble before his moaning rival rapidly bit at the nape of his neck, making him gasp. His rival then darted his tongue into Akira’s mouth once again, their lips colliding hungrily.

With a bit more force, Akira rolled them over again, his forearms supporting his weight. But Akechi had anticipated this, for he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend’s neck and his legs around his waist the moment Akira was on top of him, their bodies pressed flush against each other.

Despite Akira feeling hot and bothered like his rival, he refused to lose to him. So he proceeded with his tactic: more mischief. As they continued to kiss, one of Akira’s hands roamed down and squeezed at Akechi’s hip, which made his rival tighten his hold on him.

And that was part of Akira’s plan. With that same hand, he began to tickle Akechi’s waist. And this made his rival break away from their kiss and erupt in uncontrollable laughter.

“W-what the hell, Akira?!” Akechi laughed, both frustrated and amused at the same time as he tried to shift from Akira’s grasp.

“You know me,” Akira murmured, planting kisses all over Akechi’s face. “I’m quite the joker.”

With a quick hand, Akechi grabbed Akira’s playful hand and pressed it on his waist, stopping the tickling sensation. And before Akira could remove his hand from Akechi’s grasp, his rival had flipped them over once more. And all the while he had a cocky smile on his face. “How hilarious.” He then bit Akira’s lower lip. “You’re lucky I have a thing for mischief.”

Having said that, Akechi proceeded to kiss his rival, their intensity from earlier coming back stronger after each kiss. But once the timer went off, he immediately pulled away from Akira’s lips, which were trying to capture his lips once more. “I win.”

Akira smirked at him. “I think this can be a two-out-of-three type of competition.”

“Are you THAT eager to lose again?” Akechi scoffed a laugh as he got off his rival, sitting on the sofa again.

“Me? No,” Akira said, following suit. He then took out his phone and turned off its timer. “You just don’t want to risk a possible win for me.”

Pulling at Akira’s shirt, Akechi brought their faces close, their lips close to touching. “That’s bullshit and you know it.”

“Then prove me wrong,” Akira challenged him, his gaze never leaving Akechi’s. “If you don’t, that just proves my point.”

“Set that timer again and then we’ll talk.”

“But of course,” Taking out his phone and glancing at it for a few seconds, he set the timer once again. But, instead of shoving his phone back in his pockets, he placed it under the couch. And it was only after doing so that their lips connected once more, their new challenge underway. Looks like their movie won’t get unpaused for a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was Akechi's birthday chapter! (No More What Ifs was a must for this chapterXD As well as the small potatoes line>.<)
> 
> Next up is the final chapter to this fic so stay tuned!


	33. Here's to no more what ifs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **DISCLAIMER**  
>  This fanfiction may consist of plot points and scenes shown in Persona 5 Royal. Any scenes that seem to occur post Persona 5 Royal are created for the purposes of this fictional story. I do not own Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal. The characters, and any mentioned scenes belong to ATLUS.

**08/03/20XX - Morning**

Opening his eyes to a brand new day, the first thing that Akira sees is his boyfriend’s shoulder-length, brunette hair right in front of him. Even though Akechi’s back was facing him as he laid on his side, Akira could tell he was sleeping soundly, especially since the arm that he had wrapped around him was calmly rising and falling without any disturbance. 

Akira then quietly lifted himself up until his forearm was supporting his weight, before leaning down and kissing Akechi’s temple. Seeing that the only thing his rival did was give a small, subconscious smile, Akira quietly got off the bed, all the while being careful with Morgana, who was on the lower part of the bed and sleeping soundly as well.

Heading downstairs, Akira began to prepare the usual brew of coffee and some curry. And it was just then that he heard Leblanc’s front door open, a familiar ginger-haired girl in sight. “Morning, Akira.”

“Morning,” Akira said as he began to mix in the curry’s ingredients. “You’re here early.”

“Yep, and eager to eat some curry,” Futaba sat down on one of the coffee bar seats. “Akechi and Mona still upstairs?”

“Sleeping soundly.” Akira continued on with the curry preparations, all the while making time to prepare the usual morning coffee.

“... I believe that only applies to Morgana at the moment.”

Turning towards the stairs, Akira and Futaba saw a drowsy Akechi approaching them. And Akira could only smile at the sight. “Morning to you, too.”

“Pretty rare to see you all sleepy, Akechi,” Futaba remarked jokingly.

“Don’t get used to it,” he just mumbled, before sitting down at his usual spot.

“I would’ve thought you’d be sleeping for a bit longer.” Akira returned his focus to his work. “Change of pace?”

“I saw you heading downstairs. So I thought: might as well.”

“Didn’t mean to wake the sleeping prince.” Akira placed a cup of coffee in front of his rival and Futaba, as well as another one where he’ll be sitting.

Taking the cup in his hand, Akechi took a sip of his coffee, before glaring at Akira from across the counter, his drowsiness slowly leaving him. “That’s a distasteful joke, even for you.”

“But it woke you up a bit, didn’t it?” Akira then began to make his way towards his seat, ignoring his rival’s piercing gaze.

“... Just because you’re being such a wise guy this morning doesn’t mean you’ll get the upper hand today.”

Sitting down next to his rival, Akira leisurely took a sip of his coffee. “Who says I don’t have the upper hand? I’ll beat you regardless.”

“Dream on.”

It’s been three years since Akechi and Akira had their first duel. It’s also been three years since they’ve started dating. So they thought: what better way to celebrate their anniversary than through a merciless duel? They couldn’t hold a rematch for their first and second anniversary due to Akechi being in prison. But now, they were more than eager to see who would come out on top, especially after years of extra prep time.

“I’ve had more preparation time than you,” Akira said, fixing the positioning of his glasses a bit.

“And you think I didn’t?” Akechi raised a brow. “It’s not like I wasn’t doing anything in prison.”

“But you weren’t practicing out on the field.”

“Tactics can work wonders, Akira. Besides, just as you caught up to me on the whole Persona business in the past, I can easily do the same. Our recent trips to Mementos are sole proof of that.”

After hearing this back and forth, Futaba just sighed. “You two keep sounding more and more like an old married couple by the day.”

Akechi just looked at Futaba with a deadpan expression. “We don’t.”

But Akira just eyed their Navi curiously. “We do?”

“No, we don’t,” Akechi urged on with a glare towards his rival.

“She may be onto something, Goro.” Akira placed a hand to his chin mischievously.

“Akira, no.”

“How about “Akira, yes”?”

Akechi groaned. “Stop that. We do NOT sound like an old married couple.”

“After careful consideration of past conversations and head-to-head discussions, I’m pretty sure we do.”

“No, we clearly don’t.”

“You obviously do.” Turning to the new voice, the three saw that Morgana had gone downstairs and was now approaching one of the unoccupied stools. “And I would know.”

“Morning, Mona,” Futaba greeted as Morgana sat on the stool.

“Morning,” Morgana nodded.

“I’m going to check on the curry,” Akira said, before standing up and walking towards the curry pot.

And his boyfriend’s eyes were constantly staring at him. “This isn’t over, Akira.”

His rival just gave him a wink, before resuming his curry preparations. “Love you too, Goro.”

* * *

**08/03/20XX - Evening**

Arriving at Mementos, Joker strode along with Crow towards the floor’s largest area. Once they reached said area’s center, Joker spoke up. “So what are the rules this time?”

With a sneer, Crow placed a hand to his hip. “No healing, and no Personas. We are only allowed to use melee weapons.”

“So you took what I said seriously?” Joker raised a brow. “That was years ago.”

“It’s a good challenge nonetheless. And I’m fairly certain that we can make adjustments to our combat accordingly, wouldn’t you agree?”

Huffing a laugh with a smirk, Joker nodded. “Fair enough.”

“Then let’s not waste anymore time, Joker.”

After walking several feet away from one another, they turned around to face each other, one with a dagger and another with a sword. And so, the battle began: both rivals dashed towards each other without any restraint, their weapons clashing into each other as each of them tried to parry each other’s attacks. Other times, they would straight up dodge each other’s blades, Joker being the showoff that he usually is, and Crow being as tactical as ever.

At some point, all of this slicing, dicing, and dodging started to get tiresome for the both of them. And because of this, Crow took his chances to dodge one of Joker’s swift attacks, before roundhouse kicking the dagger out of his hand. But Joker knew better and swung a leg behind Crow’s knees, causing him to fall on his back as the dagger that was thrown in the air fell to the ground. Crow was about to use his sword, but Joker had taken out his gun and whacked his sword with full force. As a result, the sword went flying out of his grasp, the gun now pointing directly at Crow. But the few seconds that Joker took to take out his gun were enough for Crow to draw his own, both hands gripping firmly at it.

They were both panting due to the fatigue, but they didn’t let that stop them from holding their ground.

“Well…?” Joker asked firmly, despite the exhaustion evident in his voice.

“Well…?” Crow mimicked back, breathing heavily behind his mask.

“I’m pretty sure... this is my win.”

“... Not a chance.” Crow managed to snarl, before quickly moving one of his occupied hands towards Joker’s pinning leg.

But, as if on cue, Joker rapidly used his free hand to grab at Crow’s wrist, swatting the gun that was seconds away from shooting at him with his own gun. And in a swift movement, Joker used the same leg that was on Crow’s chest to flip him over, before sitting on top of him and properly restraining his arm behind him. “... How about now?”

* * *

**08/03/20XX - Night**

Walking down the streets of Kichijoji, the two rivals were approaching their go-to jazz club. But just as they were about to make a turn towards the Jazz Jin’s alley, Akechi stopped in his tracks, a hand in one of his pockets. “Hey.”

The moment Akira turned to his rival, who was a few steps away, he saw a glove coming his way once more. Catching it in one of his hands, he gripped it confidently. “Same time next year?”

Akechi just smirked at him. “If we want to keep this a tradition.”

“Then let’s do it.” Akira nodded, putting the glove away. “I won’t go easy on you.”

His rival then approached him until they were standing side-to-side. “Likewise.” He then placed a hand on his arm and briefly rubbed his thumb against it. “Now then, shall we go?”

Akira nodded. “Of course.”

Letting go of his rival, the two then continued on their way to the Jazz Jin. Once they reached the establishment, they managed to find a table near the club’s stage. And right on time, too, for there was a live performance scheduled for the evening.

After they placed their orders for their drinks, Akechi noticed the jazz singer go up on stage, the music starting moments after. “Coming here after a duel can also be our little tradition as well.” He then turned to Akira. “Thoughts?”

“I don’t see why not. We both like it here.”

As they began to listen to the soothing jazz, their drinks were soon delivered. And it was after Akechi took a sip of his drink that he looked over to Akira once more. “You weren’t bluffing when you said you’d beat me today.”

“You kept your word last time,” Akira started to say, before taking a sip from his drink. “So why shouldn’t I do the same?”

“I guess it’s not surprising, since you ARE my rival.”

“Hey, I gotta keep a reputation,” Akira laughed.

Akechi just chuckled. “As you always do.”

They continued to listen to the music for a bit longer before Akechi spoke up once again, causing Akira’s attention to be brought back to him. “... Three years, huh? I’m a bit surprised.”

“Didn’t expect life to give you such a calming present?”

“You hit the nail right on the head,” Akechi said, crossing his legs. “Being free from any potential restraint that would’ve been caused by my past is close to none. If things would have stayed as they were, we probably wouldn’t be here right now.”

He was right: had Shido’s goons remained untouched, that could have meant bad news for those connected to Shido in some shape or form, and that included Akechi. Akira was well aware of this, and he was glad that things turned out the way they did. Especially since now, the two of them can calmly live their lives, both as Phantom Thieves and as ordinary people.

“Then it’s a good thing we met up when we did,” Akira smiled at him. “You could even call it a game changer in your favor.”

With a short laugh, Akechi smiled back at him. “That’s not a bad way to put it.” But then his smile dropped, a sigh escaping his lips. “You know, this kind of reminds me of something that I ponder about from time to time.”

His rival crossed his arms, his head tilting slightly to the side. “Do tell.”

“… What if we met sooner, Akira?” Akechi asked, his gaze never leaving his rival’s. “Do you think our circumstances could have been any different?”

“I guess that depends: how much sooner?” Akira answered with another question, curious as to whether Akechi thought up an answer or not.

And as he expected, his boyfriend clearly had something in mind, since he didn’t need to think twice before sharing his thoughts, “Before I started working for Shido, maybe even as young children. I believe if I had someone to call a friend back then, maybe things would have been different.”

“But what about your revenge?”

“I would have found a way. Any way that didn’t involve killing you off.” Akechi admitted. “After all, who’s to say that, had we met earlier, we might have started going out sooner as well?”

“That would have been a possibility,” Akira acknowledged.

“As much as it surprises me to admit it… that would have been more of an undeniable occurrence than a mere possibility.” Akechi corrected him, knowing far too well that their chemistry would have potentially drawn them together, regardless of their backgrounds.

“So you would have fallen for my charms regardless.” Akira said matter-of-factly as he raised a playful brow.

“... All in due time.” Akechi didn’t even bother to stop his cheesy remark. But he then shook his head. “But that’s all in the past. We can think of many more hypotheticals, but we very well know that we can’t change what we already experienced.”

“Then let me change it up a bit,” Akira began to say, uncrossing his arms as a noticeable sparkle shined in his eyes. “What if we continue on like this for years? What if we continue our rivalry? What if… we just follow our hearts without further regrets?”

Akechi felt himself chuckle. Regardless of the sappiness, his rival’s words did express one idea that he knew fairly well: living a life with no regrets, regardless of the past. And Akira’s thoughts were more than just agreeable in his eyes: they were making a take on the future as well, which was an interesting twist on the matter considering how he had previously viewed this idea while keeping his past and present in mind. So in the end, he will never not be amazed by his rival’s take on things, even if the difference in views is relatively minor. He’ll just end up learning more and more from him, and vice versa. “In that case, how about this: instead of thinking of “what ifs”, let’s just “do”. If we have any past regrets, let’s just live a life where there are none.”

“Then…” Akira extended his drink to Akechi, his expression looking ever so fond. “Here’s to no more what ifs.”

With a calming gaze and smile, Akechi extended his to clink their drinks slightly. This was definitely a choice he wouldn’t regret. “To no more what ifs.”

The two rivals continued to enjoy their evening, their hands intertwined, all the while their gifted, silver bangles glistened gently under the Jazz Jin lights, their tiny, engraved stars glistening as bright as their never-ending light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First things first: sorry for the delayed update! Been having a bit of writer’s block for this last chapter and I wanted it to turn out well (since this is the anniversary chapter).
> 
> Secondly: yes, you read right! This is the last chapter and I’m a bit sad that it came to an end… :’( (Fun fact: I DID have a 3rd palace in mind! It would have taken place around the time Akechi was in prison and the palace location would have been said prison. BUT due to me wanting to keep this fanfic as canon compliant as possible… it got scrapped. Let’s just say my idea for using Akechi in this palace didn’t add up to the canon logic:/)
> 
> Also... since this fic is now over… new fics are underway! (WIPs are currently staring at me and some of them involve AkeShu/ShuAke:) I’m also thinking of a Kingdom Hearts x Persona 5 Royal crossover but let’s see what happensXD )
> 
> Anywho... Thank you all so much for reading! All the kudos and comments are very well received and I have to say: you guys are awesome\\(^o^)/ I may not leave replies on the comments section but I do read everyone’s comments and I appreciate them oh so much<3 As a writer, it really brightens my day to see other fans enjoy what I write:)
> 
> With all of that being said, I hope everyone has an awesome day!
> 
> WayfinderGal out ☆


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